APRD rebels

The People's Army for the Restoration of Democracy (APRD) was one of the many rebel groups operating in the Central African Republic (CAR). They originated as the presidential guards, and was one of the last rebel groups to sign a peace treaty with the Bozize regime. However they appear to not have joined the factions of other rebel groups like Convention of Patriots for Justice and Peace (CPJP), Union of Democratic Forces for Unity (UFDR), the Patriotic Convention for Saving the Country (CPSK), along with other rebel groups in the Seleka (Sango word meaning "alliance, covered in on of my previous posts) coalition after the peace talks in 2011 failed. Here is a gallery of APRD fighters bellow.

These fighters are so poorly equipped that I at 1st thought that they were Anti Balaka militias.

A better equipped fighter, possibly one of the officers. As mentioned, the officers tend to be better equipped then their men. He might have captured his military fatigues from a dead government solider or from government armories.

Interesting homemade rifles. I have read on a Human Rights Watch report that most of the fighters are armed with homemade rifles, while the officers are armed with assault rifles (80% of the APRD are armed with homemade rifles). The report says that it is believed that the group lacks foreign backing. Makes sense because if a group is mostly armed with homemade rifles, they are obliviously fending for themselves. A foreign backer should have armed the groups better then homemade firearms.