Armed entrepreneurs had carved out personal fiefdoms in which they set up checkpoints, collect illegal taxes, and take in millions of dollars from the illicit coffee, mineral, and timber trades. Noureddine Adam, the leader of the rebel group Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central African Republic (FRPC), declared the autonomous Republic of Logone on 14 December 2015. By 2017, more than 14 armed groups vied for territory, and about 60% of the country's territory was controlled by four notable factions led by ex-Séléka leaders, including the FRP led by Adam; the Union Pour la Paix en Centrafrique (UPC), led by Ali Darassa, the Mouvement patriotique pour la Centrafrique (MPC) led by Mahamat Al-Khatim. The factions have been described as ethnic in nature with the FPRC associated with the Gula and Runga people and the UPC associated with the Fulani. With the de facto partition of the country between ex-Séléka militias in the north and east, and Anti-balaka militias in the south and west, hostilities between both sides decreased but sporadic fighting continued.
Armed entrepreneurs had carved out personal fiefdoms in which they set up checkpoints collect illegal taxes and take in millions of dollars from the illicit coffee mineral and timber trades Noureddine Adam the leader of the rebel group Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central African Republic (FRPC) declared the autonomous Republic of Logone on 14 December 2015 By 2017 more than 14 armed groups vied for territory and about 60% of the country's territory was controlled by four notable factions led by ex-Séléka leaders including the FRP led by Adam; the Union Pour la Paix en Centrafrique (UPC) led by Ali Darassa the Mouvement patriotique pour la Centrafrique (MPC) led by Mahamat Al-Khatim The factions have been described as ethnic in nature with the FPRC associated with the Gula and Runga people and the UPC associated with the Fulani With the de facto partition of the country between ex-Séléka militias in the north and east and Anti-balaka militias in the south and west hostilities between both sides decreased but sporadic fighting continued