Conflict archive

2012 Central African Republic Civil War Weapons and Equipment

Conflict that escalated after the Seleka offensive in December 2012 and the 2013 seizure of Bangui, followed by anti-balaka mobilization, international peacekeeping, and continuing armed-group violence.

The Central African Republic Civil War 2012-present grew from the 2012 Seleka offensive, the March 2013 seizure of Bangui, and anti-balaka militia mobilization against Seleka fighters and Muslim civilians. The equipment archive is currently narrow and should use direct source-backed evidence because armed groups, local self-defense formations, state forces, foreign forces, and peacekeepers have all appeared in the conflict environment.

This archive tracks weapon systems directly documented in the Central African Republic Civil War 2012-present.

Entries should distinguish government, Seleka/ex-Seleka, anti-balaka, peacekeeping, and other armed-group evidence rather than treating all CAR conflict use as one side.

1 weapon systems

Context

Status
Published archive
Location
Central African Republic, centered on Bangui with conflict activity across northern, central, and southeastern regions
Countries
Central African Republic
Regions
Bangui, Bossangoa, North-central Central African Republic, Southeastern Central African Republic
Domains
land, small arms, counter-insurgency, improvised weapons, peacekeeping

The archive should prioritize direct documentation because public sources often identify armed groups or broad weapon categories rather than exact models. Relevant equipment evidence may include craft and commercial small arms used by anti-balaka groups, state or former-state stockpile weapons, armed-group captures, foreign-supplied materiel, peacekeeping equipment, and weapons documented by monitoring or tracing organizations.

Map

Central African Republic, centered on Bangui with conflict activity across northern, central, and southeastern regions

Open map

Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.

Timeline

Key Events

  1. Seleka offensive begins

    CFR describes the Seleka insurgency as launching an offensive against the Central African government in December 2012 before quickly taking northern and central areas.

    Sources: Violence in the Central African Republic

  2. Seleka captures Bangui

    Human Rights Watch and CFR describe Seleka forces taking Bangui in March 2013 and ousting President Francois Bozize.

    Sources: World Report 2014: Central African Republic, Violence in the Central African Republic

  3. Anti-balaka violence escalates

    Human Rights Watch describes anti-balaka groups clashing with Seleka and carrying out attacks in late 2013, adding sectarian militia violence to the conflict.

    Sources: World Report 2014: Central African Republic

  4. UN peacekeeping mission authorized

    CFR summarizes the UN Security Council's April 2014 authorization of a peacekeeping force after African Union and French deployments.

    Sources: Violence in the Central African Republic

Phases

Dec 10, 2012 - Aug 31, 2013

Seleka offensive and Bangui takeover

Seleka forces moved from an insurgent offensive to control of Bangui, while the central state struggled to control fighters after the coup.

Sep 1, 2013 - Dec 31, 2014

Anti-balaka mobilization and international intervention

Anti-balaka groups mobilized against Seleka fighters and Muslim civilians as African Union, French, and later UN peacekeeping forces tried to contain the crisis.

Jan 1, 2015 - present

Fragmented armed-group violence

The conflict persisted through fragmented armed-group activity, local resource competition, displacement, and contested peace agreements.

Category

Infantry Weapons

Portable weapons used by soldiers and small units.

1/1
Hunting rifle, Civilian shoulder-fired rifle, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsHunting rifleCivilian shoulder-fired rifleSide: Anti-balaka militiasRole: Militia small armBuilt: Various manufacturers / VariousHunting rifles are civilian shoulder-fired rifles that enter conflict records as a weapon class rather than a standardized military model. The catalog evidence ties them to community security and militia use: UNIDIR documents craft-produced hunting rifles among CJTF/Yan Gora and Hunters/Charmers in northeast Nigeria, while Conflict Armament Research identifies hunting rifles among anti-balaka militia weapons in the Central African Republic.

Conflict Sources

Faction names and alignments can be fluid. Weapon entries should attach only direct source-backed claims for the named side, armed group, transfer, capture, or field documentation.

  • Violence in the Central African RepublicPublisher: Council on Foreign Relations | Note: Supports the conflict's 2012 Seleka offensive, 2013 Bangui seizure, anti-balaka mobilization, peacekeeping context, and continuing armed-group violence. | Accessed: 2026-06-29
  • World Report 2014: Central African RepublicPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: Supports the 2013 Seleka takeover, anti-balaka clashes with Seleka, attacks on civilians, displacement, and early international-response context. | Accessed: 2026-06-29
  • Non-state Armed Groups in the Central African RepublicPublisher: Conflict Armament Research | Note: Supports weapon-context limits and documented non-state armed-group weapons in the Central African Republic. | Accessed: 2026-06-29