Obo strike: Russian mercenaries in Central African Republic fire US missile into Democratic Republic of Congo
Mercenaries from the Russian Wagner Group fired a ground-to-ground missile from Obo in the Haut-Mbomou region of Central Africa last week, sending shockwaves across the border into the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Locals in both countries reported seeing the projectile streak across the night sky after it was launched from a football field in the heart of Obo. The missile crossed the border and landed five kilometers from the village of Zapay in Congo, with no immediate reports of casualties.
This unusual incident traces back to a long-abandoned American military outpost in Obo, once part of a multinational operation targeting one of Africa’s most notorious warlords.
From US mission to Wagner occupation: the forgotten arms cache
Between October 2011 and April 2017, elite American soldiers—including Green Berets—operated from Obo as part of Observant Compass, a mission aimed at dismantling the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and capturing its leader, Joseph Kony. The U.S. forces maintained several bases across Central Africa, including Obo and Djema, equipped with surveillance systems and fortified perimeters.
The mission concluded in 2017 with the withdrawal of U.S. advisors, though Kony was never captured. Left behind in Obo were containers filled with military equipment—vehicles, solar panels, and, according to local accounts, weapons including at least one ground-to-ground missile.
After the Americans left, Central African Armed Forces (FACA) troops took over the base. But their presence was short-lived. Months ago, Wagner mercenaries—deployed at the request of local authorities in Haut-Mbomou—arrived in Obo, evicted the FACA, and seized the former American facility.
Wagner’s test fire and the message it sent
Once inside, Wagner fighters reportedly scoured the abandoned containers, recovering usable weapons and discarding faulty ones. Local reports indicate the prefect of Haut-Mbomou had publicly announced plans for test firings to evaluate the newly found arsenal.
The night of February 26 saw the mercenaries put their claims to the test. Under the cover of darkness, they transported a heavy-caliber weapon to Obo’s football field—a highly visible location in the town center—and fired. The missile ignited with a blaze visible across multiple neighborhoods before arcing over Mboki and Zemio toward Congo.
The trajectory was deliberate. Rather than risk falling near Bambouti in Central African Republic, the mercenaries aimed deep into Congolese territory, where the projectile landed harmlessly near Zapay. The choice of impact zone suggests a calculated attempt to avoid immediate collateral damage on the Central African side.
In Zapay, the explosion sparked panic among residents, many of whom are Congolese displaced by violence linked to Wagner’s operations in Central Africa. Some questioned whether the strike was intended as a warning—one that transcends borders.
Who could fire such a weapon?
Investigations confirm that only Wagner forces in Obo possess the capacity to operate heavy artillery capable of launching a projectile that travels hundreds of kilometers and crosses an international boundary. No other group in the region—neither FACA nor any other armed faction—has the training or equipment to execute such an operation.
Witnesses described seeing Wagner operatives maneuvering the weapon, aligning its sights toward Congo, and pulling the trigger. There is no ambiguity about who fired the shot.
In Zapay, families spent the night scanning the sky, fearing a second strike might follow.
