Situation Worsens in Am Dafock

By Marie Pierre COPPENS | LNC Translation into English by Karen Ann SULLIVAN l LNC

(Bangui, August 2, 2026 | LNC) In Am Dafock (Vakaga region), near the Sudanese border, the situation is deteriorating. Residents are fleeing the town for Birao, located about 60 kilometers away; nearly 18,000 people are now settled in a makeshift camp near the MINUSCA base, which is doing its best to assist them. The known casualty toll from the rebel attack stands at 36 dead and 18 wounded. Although FACA troops and Russian mercenaries are parading through the town, the local population does not trust them to provide protection should the rebels return. From a humanitarian standpoint, the displaced persons have virtually nothing and lack basic necessities. Since road access is impossible, MINUSCA cargo planes and humanitarian flights are being used to transport heavy supplies from Bangui to the Birao airstrip. By mid-July, over 3.5 tons of emergency cargo—including medicines and shelter materials—had already been delivered via this route. Finally, transport helicopters are being utilized: to cover the final 60 kilometers between Birao and the isolated Am Dafock base, UN agencies such as the World Food Programme (WFP) are employing cargo helicopters capable of landing directly near the displacement camps, bypassing the need for roads. Marie Pierre reporting from Am Dafock, live from the MINUSCA camp.

LNC

Photo: Marie Pierre COPPENS/LNC

Date: August 2, 2026

Copyright © 2013-2026 All rights reserved: LAMINE MEDIA

Back