Anti-balaka
| Anti-balaka | |
|---|---|
Anti-balaka militia in Gbaguili, a village located 340 km from Bangui | |
| Leaders | Bernard Bonda (Mokom branch) Igor Lamaka (Ngaïssona branch) Maxime Mokom Dieudonné Ndomaté Levy Yakete † Patrice Edouard Ngaissona See full list |
| Dates of operation | 2013–present |
| Headquarters | Bossangoa (until 2021) N'Djamena, Chad (since 2021) |
| Active regions | Central African Republic |
| Part of | Coalition of Patriots for Change (since 2020) |
| Opponents | Séléka and splinter groups (until 2020) |
The Anti-balaka is an alliance of militia groups based in the Central African Republic in the early 21st century said by The Guardian to be composed primarily of Christians, but also some Muslims. The Tony Blair Faith Foundation and journalist Andrew Katz have noted that animists also participate in Anti-balaka groups.
Anti-balaka formed in the Central African Republic after the rise to power of Michel Djotodia in 2013. Amnesty International reported in 2015 that some members of anti-balaka groups had forcibly converted Muslims to Christianity. Anti-balaka leaders have also been present at torture sessions of people accused of being witches in public ceremonies, and the Anti-balaka have been accused of extorting money with witchcraft accusations, according to an internal UN report.