Popular Front for the Rebirth of the Central African Republic (FPRC, ) is a rebel group in the Central African Republic which controls areas of the northern part of the country, until 2021 based in N'Délé.
The FPRC operates a parallel state in the northern part of the Central African Republic named the Republic of Logone. They have their own police, gendarmes, prisons, and military bases. They also collect taxes and levies. They profit from gold and diamond mines in the areas they control, including the Ndassima mine, which they jointly control with the Union for Peace in the Central African Republic.
History The FPRC was formed on 10 July 2014 in Birao, consolidating the member forces' control over the northern prefectures. They were one of the parties of the February 2019 peace deal. In September 2019, they lost control of Birao. On 17 February 2020 FPRC fighters tried to recapture Birao by attacking local MINUSCA forces. Their attack was repelled and 12 fighters were killed.
On 17 December 2020, an FPRC faction led by Noureddine Adam joined the Coalition of Patriots for Change, while the faction led by Abdoulaye Hissene remained committed to the 2019 peace agreement. Pro-CPC forces of general Mahamat Salleh took control of Bakouma on 31 December 2020 and then Bangassou on 3 January 2021.
Republic of Logone
The Republic of Logone (), also known as Dar El-Kuti (), is a partially realized, self-declared autonomous region and proto-state internationally recognised as part of the Central African Republic. It was formed by the Muslim rebel movement Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central African Republic (FPRC) with support of other armed groups on 14 December 2015. The states of Republic of Logone are Bamingui-Bangoran, Vakaga and Haute-Kotto.
In March 2013, during the Central African Republic Civil War which began a year earlier, the Muslim Séléka rebels forced the Christian president of the Central African Republic François Bozizé from his office, resulting in violence from the Christian anti-balaka militias. The UN sent in MINUSCA troops and scheduled a constitutional referendum for 13 December 2015 and national elections on 27 December in order to stabilize the country. However, Noureddine Adam, the leader of the Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central African Republic (FPRC), one of the four Muslim Séléka militias, abstained from the scheduled elections. In his view, Muslims and Christians could no longer live together in one country.
On 14 December 2015, Adam's spokesman, Maouloud Moussa, declared the autonomous Republic of Logone in the northeast of the country. He explained that they wanted first to achieve autonomy within the Central African Republic and eventually absolute independence. Louisa Lombard, a professor of anthropology at the Yale University, explained that it is possible that declaration of a new republic was a negotiating tactic for upcoming elections or a method for increasing influence, and that the rebels did not really believe that it is feasible to create a new state. Besides FPRC the independence of Republic of Logone has been supported by MPC, RPRC and MLCJ armed groups.Splintered warfare: Alliances, affiliations, and agendas of armed factions and politicomilitary groups in the Central African Republic, August 2017
On 10 April 2021, Kaga-Bandoro was recaptured by government forces.
Flag The flag of the Republic of Logone consists of three horizontal stripes of yellow (for the gold of the North), black (that the north was abandoned by the government in Bangui) and green (for the fertility of the land). In the centre of the black strip is a black star that stands for the struggle of the people in the north for their self-determination.
References
External links Central African Republic: The way of the warlord. France24