On 4 March, two staff members of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), a French and a Central African national, were arrested in Zemio, on the southern border of the Central African Republic (CAR). They were subsequently transferred to Bangui, CAR, where they are still being held in custody.
Since February, an MSF team has been present in Zapay, on the Democratic Republic of Congo side of the border, to evaluate the humanitarian needs in the area. It was in this context that our colleagues were invited by the local civilian authorities for a meeting in Zemio.
We support our colleagues and we are working to clarify this situation in collaboration with all relevant authorities.
We remain confident that this situation will be resolved quickly.
MSF has been present in Central African Republic since 1997 and currently works in collaboration with the health authorities in nine locations. In 2025, our teams delivered 404,364 medical consultations, performed 9,978 surgical interventions and treated 235,128 malaria cases. In CAR, MSF employs over 3,400 people (over 90 percent of whom are Central African), of which 1,294 are under the authority of the Ministry of Health.
Central African Republic
Two MSF staff members released in Central African Republic
Statement
14 Mar 2026
United States of America
One year later: How US policies are reshaping global health and humanitarian aid
Press Release
21 Jan 2026
