temujin
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Thousands dead, including hundreds over the past few days, hundreds of thousands displaced. Escalating conflict, involving the usual suspects, verging on a 'genocide' of Rwanda like proportions according to the UN.
For those who have never heard of the conflict, it started off with the overthrow of a warlord/dictator by another with the help of 'foreign fighters' from Chad/Sudan who have since joined hands with indigenous Muslims, who account for 15% of the population, to systematically massacre the majority Christians. Most of the victims till date have been Christians but there are increasing fears that reprisal attacks by organised Christian vigilante groups could result in the conflict turning into a genocide..
As with conflicts in Mauritania, Chad and Mail, I regard this as yet another example of the spill over effect of the 'Arab spring' and the Saudi fuelled militarisation of sectarian conflicts in the wider region..
Hundreds Dead in Central African Republic as Christians and Muslims Clash - IBTimes UK
Hundreds Dead in Central African Republic as Christians and Muslims Clash
At least 300 people are reported to have been killed in two days of sectarian violence in Bangui, the capital city of the Central African Republic (CAR).
The violence began when Christian militias loyal to the CAR's ousted President Francois Bozize raided Muslim neighbourhoods. "Anti-balaka" are Christian self-defence forces loyal to Bozize. "Balaka" means 'machete' in the local Sango and Mandja languages.
The violence was a reaction to a crackdown on Christians by Muslim rebels, known as Seleka, who seized power in the country and instituted their leader Michel Djotodia as the new president.Anti-Balakas launched multiple attacks from the north, which again sparked retaliatory attacks from Seleka.
Djotodia is CAR's interim president but he has little control over the gangs of Seleka gunmen, most of whom are from the neighbouring states of Chad and Sudan.He appealed to France and other African nations for help.The UN Security Council in New York authorised French and African troops to intervene to protect civilians.
The former French colony has slipped into chaos since the Muslim rebels seized power in March, leading to a series of retaliatory clashes between Muslims and Christians.
African peacekeepers were protecting hundreds of civilians at their base in Bossangoa, but came under heavy fire from the Seleka rebels. French troops are trying to stop the violence in the capital. Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the number of troops in CAR would double, or reach 1,200 "relatively quickly", the RTE reported.
Since 2011, France has intervened in four African countries, in the Ivory Coast, on a joint mission in Libya, in Mali and now in the Central African Republic.
Rich in Gold and Diamonds
CAR is rich in gold, diamonds and uranium but has been marred by decades of instability and sectarian conflicts, often involving infiltration from across its borders.The streets of Bangui are deserted, with international security forces and rebel fighters patrolling the streets.
Seleka rebels reportedly conducted house-to-house searches to carry out extra-judicial executions. "They are slaughtering us like chicken," Donoboy, a Christian whose family remained in hiding, told Reuters.
As many as 53 bodies were brought to a mosque in Bangui. Most victims were clubbed or hacked to death.
About 281 bodies have already been collected by the Red Cross, which expects more casualties. The Red Cross will resume the search for the dead over the weekend.
"Tomorrow is going to be a monster of a day, we're going to work tomorrow and I think we're going to need a fourth day too," said Pastor Antoine Mbao Bogo, Red Cross President in CAR.
Dozens of bodies were left on the roads in areas too risky for people to go out and collect them.
Unspeakable acts of inhumanity as violence intensifies in the Central African Republic - ITV News
Unspeakable acts of inhumanity as violence intensifies in the Central African Republic
There is hatred in their eyes as they spit their words out at you: “Djotodia doit partir”, Michael Djodotia, transitional President of the Central African Republic, “must go”.
These same words were emblazoned in graffiti on walls round a small unremarkable mosque near the Assemblee Nationale, on the Avenue de l’Independence - one of Bangui’s principal roads that is heavily patrolled by the French, African (members of the Multinational Force for Central Africa - FOMAC) and Seleka troops, where a revenge mob had gathered.
They had burned the mosque, as well as the Imam’s house. And they were running riot, removing anything that could be taken from the building.
They pulled the corrugated iron from the roof and fled with their trophies into the neighbouring quarter of Fouh.
Others, men and women together, gathered in the dusty grounds, shouting encouragement to the mob, beating at the walls with whatever instruments they could find or writing their graffiti in large letters on the remaining walls, declaring their hatred of the president.
Even worse were those writing “Tuer les musulmans”, "Kill the Muslims" on the wall of the already-defiled mosque.
Members of the mob revelled in any attention they could get, happily performing for the few cameras that had braved the crowd and the ongoing insecurity to record what was going on.
To any sane observer, it was an utterly meaningless attack. But this is what’s growing in Bangui today, fuelled by what feels like a shocking escalation of anti-Muslim rhetoric within the Christian community.
Language that would, in normal times be unthinkable, is being used to describe their fellow man, neighbours rising against neighbours, all on the basis of his religion.
People in Bangui are angry and frustrated. This is a city where normal life has come to a complete halt. The ramshackle stores and restaurants that line the sides of the city’s roads are all deserted or, even worse, looted or destroyed. Small numbers of people can be seen wandering aimlessly in groups.
But most are in hiding, having either joined the masses taking refuge in the various camps that have sprung up around the city or staying in their homes with the doors firmly locked, unable to go out even to buy food.
All shops and small businesses are closed. No one is going to work or to school. Only a few hospitals remain open but without the daily stream of the sick and unwell who would normally arrive seeking treatment.
Anger and resentment are growing day after day. People want revenge and are not willing to sit back and wait for the French troops or for the Multinational Force of Central Africa (FOMAC) forces to protect them.
Unspeakable acts of inhumanity are being carried out on a daily basis in the Central African Republic. We have seen children who were brutally attacked, by men wielding machetes. These were not random attacks: the children were hit directly in the head.
We have spoken to people who feel safer in the squalid conditions of displaced peoples’ camps than in the safety of their own homes.
“I was born here. My father was born here. So was my grandfather. How can they tell me I am not Central African?”, more than one person has said this to me.
And yet Muslims in Bangui have become the focus of much of the rage that is sweeping the city, declared as outsiders by the predominately Christian community.
When we visited the central morgue in the city, we were told that all of the hundreds of bodies stored there were Christians.
“How do you know?” we asked. “Because they don’t have dark marks on their foreheads,” some told us, a reference to mark some are said to develop as a result of the Muslim act of prayer.
The majority of those killed in Bangui since Wednesday may have been Christians but the way the tide is turning against the Muslim community is deeply worrying.
We are hearing increased reports of disturbing revenge attacks against Muslims around Bangui. One man was killed when he returned to his home in a mostly-Christian neighbourhood to collect some personal belongings is one such victim reported to us.
It is not unreasonable to fear what will happen next in the Central African Republic. Stability, state authority and rule of law urgently needs to be re-established. Peace needs to prevail and the killing must stop. But then comes the much bigger challenge of re-building trust between communities torn apart by the bloodshed and brutality.
This time, it's a crisis in the Central African Republic that we're not paying attention to - Comment - Voices - The Independent
This time, it's a crisis in the Central African Republic that we're not paying attention to
The need for action is urgent, the reporting almost non-existent
The passing of Nelson Mandela has meant that the global media, in a rare turn of events, is attentively covering events in Africa - albeit particular events in one particular nation.
Yet while the great man’s death is no small matter, the media focus on it has meant that a terrible humanitarian emergency in the same continent has not attracted the attention it deserves.
The Central African Republic is currently being ripped apart by violence that threatens to turn the country into an ethno-religious combat zone that could produce, in the estimation of many authoritative onlookers, Rwanda-like outcomes.
It is the most urgent crisis you’ve never heard of. Many of the worst atrocities have been perpetrated by ex-members of a coalition of rebel forces known as Seleka. The group, which removed former President François Bozizé in a coup d’etat in March, were ostensibly disbanded by new President Michel Djotodia a few months ago; despite this, they have continued to terrorise the country, leaving razed villages, mass slaughter and utter devastation in their wake.
As a result of the actions of Seleka, and the preceding conflict with the former government’s forces, nearly 400,000 people have been displaced; the use of rape, torture and extra-judicial killings has become widespread. On top of that, malaria is rife and hospitals are overloaded to breaking point.
In short, civilians in the country are enduring, in the words of Jan Eliasson, the United Nation’s deputy secretary general, “suffering beyond imagination.”
At present, as French Peacekeeping forces enter the nation with the approval of the UN Security Council, whole communities are suspended on the edge of a precipice. As weapons and foreign mercenaries flood into the areas dominated by the predominantly Muslim ex-Seleka forces, the majority Christian population has begun to arm itself and commit extremely serious crimes targeting their counterparts - and civilians that live in the areas they control.
The situation has become so severe that the credible threat of genocide has been cited by the United Nations. The relatively modest African-led peacekeeping force known as MISCA (a French acronym for International Support Mission in the Central African Republic - comprised of African Union and French troops) present in the country should ensure that humanitarian aid, food and medicine in particular, reaches those most vulnerable and at need. Moreover, the intervention should not be a short-term fix but the first step in a committed global response that ensures this neglected crisis ends permanently.
With the very real possibility of hostilities breaking out again after a presumptive quelling of violence it is essential the international community resolves to find long-term solutions for the Republic. This would require the transformation of MISCA into an expanded UN peacekeeping force, an international commission of inquiry and a commitment to fund efforts for lasting reconciliation between estranged communities - in the spirit of Mandela’s post-apartheid South Africa.
While these measures need to be undertaken as soon as possible and all focus should be on efforts to save lives and rein in the violence, the current situation should also prompt the media to consider why, yet again, a great crisis in Africa has gone so criminally under-reported.
For those who have never heard of the conflict, it started off with the overthrow of a warlord/dictator by another with the help of 'foreign fighters' from Chad/Sudan who have since joined hands with indigenous Muslims, who account for 15% of the population, to systematically massacre the majority Christians. Most of the victims till date have been Christians but there are increasing fears that reprisal attacks by organised Christian vigilante groups could result in the conflict turning into a genocide..
As with conflicts in Mauritania, Chad and Mail, I regard this as yet another example of the spill over effect of the 'Arab spring' and the Saudi fuelled militarisation of sectarian conflicts in the wider region..
Hundreds Dead in Central African Republic as Christians and Muslims Clash - IBTimes UK
Hundreds Dead in Central African Republic as Christians and Muslims Clash
At least 300 people are reported to have been killed in two days of sectarian violence in Bangui, the capital city of the Central African Republic (CAR).
The violence began when Christian militias loyal to the CAR's ousted President Francois Bozize raided Muslim neighbourhoods. "Anti-balaka" are Christian self-defence forces loyal to Bozize. "Balaka" means 'machete' in the local Sango and Mandja languages.
The violence was a reaction to a crackdown on Christians by Muslim rebels, known as Seleka, who seized power in the country and instituted their leader Michel Djotodia as the new president.Anti-Balakas launched multiple attacks from the north, which again sparked retaliatory attacks from Seleka.
Djotodia is CAR's interim president but he has little control over the gangs of Seleka gunmen, most of whom are from the neighbouring states of Chad and Sudan.He appealed to France and other African nations for help.The UN Security Council in New York authorised French and African troops to intervene to protect civilians.
The former French colony has slipped into chaos since the Muslim rebels seized power in March, leading to a series of retaliatory clashes between Muslims and Christians.
African peacekeepers were protecting hundreds of civilians at their base in Bossangoa, but came under heavy fire from the Seleka rebels. French troops are trying to stop the violence in the capital. Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the number of troops in CAR would double, or reach 1,200 "relatively quickly", the RTE reported.
Since 2011, France has intervened in four African countries, in the Ivory Coast, on a joint mission in Libya, in Mali and now in the Central African Republic.
Rich in Gold and Diamonds
CAR is rich in gold, diamonds and uranium but has been marred by decades of instability and sectarian conflicts, often involving infiltration from across its borders.The streets of Bangui are deserted, with international security forces and rebel fighters patrolling the streets.
Seleka rebels reportedly conducted house-to-house searches to carry out extra-judicial executions. "They are slaughtering us like chicken," Donoboy, a Christian whose family remained in hiding, told Reuters.
As many as 53 bodies were brought to a mosque in Bangui. Most victims were clubbed or hacked to death.
About 281 bodies have already been collected by the Red Cross, which expects more casualties. The Red Cross will resume the search for the dead over the weekend.
"Tomorrow is going to be a monster of a day, we're going to work tomorrow and I think we're going to need a fourth day too," said Pastor Antoine Mbao Bogo, Red Cross President in CAR.
Dozens of bodies were left on the roads in areas too risky for people to go out and collect them.
Unspeakable acts of inhumanity as violence intensifies in the Central African Republic - ITV News
Unspeakable acts of inhumanity as violence intensifies in the Central African Republic
There is hatred in their eyes as they spit their words out at you: “Djotodia doit partir”, Michael Djodotia, transitional President of the Central African Republic, “must go”.
These same words were emblazoned in graffiti on walls round a small unremarkable mosque near the Assemblee Nationale, on the Avenue de l’Independence - one of Bangui’s principal roads that is heavily patrolled by the French, African (members of the Multinational Force for Central Africa - FOMAC) and Seleka troops, where a revenge mob had gathered.
They had burned the mosque, as well as the Imam’s house. And they were running riot, removing anything that could be taken from the building.
They pulled the corrugated iron from the roof and fled with their trophies into the neighbouring quarter of Fouh.
Others, men and women together, gathered in the dusty grounds, shouting encouragement to the mob, beating at the walls with whatever instruments they could find or writing their graffiti in large letters on the remaining walls, declaring their hatred of the president.
Even worse were those writing “Tuer les musulmans”, "Kill the Muslims" on the wall of the already-defiled mosque.
Members of the mob revelled in any attention they could get, happily performing for the few cameras that had braved the crowd and the ongoing insecurity to record what was going on.
To any sane observer, it was an utterly meaningless attack. But this is what’s growing in Bangui today, fuelled by what feels like a shocking escalation of anti-Muslim rhetoric within the Christian community.
Language that would, in normal times be unthinkable, is being used to describe their fellow man, neighbours rising against neighbours, all on the basis of his religion.
People in Bangui are angry and frustrated. This is a city where normal life has come to a complete halt. The ramshackle stores and restaurants that line the sides of the city’s roads are all deserted or, even worse, looted or destroyed. Small numbers of people can be seen wandering aimlessly in groups.
But most are in hiding, having either joined the masses taking refuge in the various camps that have sprung up around the city or staying in their homes with the doors firmly locked, unable to go out even to buy food.
All shops and small businesses are closed. No one is going to work or to school. Only a few hospitals remain open but without the daily stream of the sick and unwell who would normally arrive seeking treatment.
Anger and resentment are growing day after day. People want revenge and are not willing to sit back and wait for the French troops or for the Multinational Force of Central Africa (FOMAC) forces to protect them.
Unspeakable acts of inhumanity are being carried out on a daily basis in the Central African Republic. We have seen children who were brutally attacked, by men wielding machetes. These were not random attacks: the children were hit directly in the head.
We have spoken to people who feel safer in the squalid conditions of displaced peoples’ camps than in the safety of their own homes.
“I was born here. My father was born here. So was my grandfather. How can they tell me I am not Central African?”, more than one person has said this to me.
And yet Muslims in Bangui have become the focus of much of the rage that is sweeping the city, declared as outsiders by the predominately Christian community.
When we visited the central morgue in the city, we were told that all of the hundreds of bodies stored there were Christians.
“How do you know?” we asked. “Because they don’t have dark marks on their foreheads,” some told us, a reference to mark some are said to develop as a result of the Muslim act of prayer.
The majority of those killed in Bangui since Wednesday may have been Christians but the way the tide is turning against the Muslim community is deeply worrying.
We are hearing increased reports of disturbing revenge attacks against Muslims around Bangui. One man was killed when he returned to his home in a mostly-Christian neighbourhood to collect some personal belongings is one such victim reported to us.
It is not unreasonable to fear what will happen next in the Central African Republic. Stability, state authority and rule of law urgently needs to be re-established. Peace needs to prevail and the killing must stop. But then comes the much bigger challenge of re-building trust between communities torn apart by the bloodshed and brutality.
This time, it's a crisis in the Central African Republic that we're not paying attention to - Comment - Voices - The Independent
This time, it's a crisis in the Central African Republic that we're not paying attention to
The need for action is urgent, the reporting almost non-existent
The passing of Nelson Mandela has meant that the global media, in a rare turn of events, is attentively covering events in Africa - albeit particular events in one particular nation.
Yet while the great man’s death is no small matter, the media focus on it has meant that a terrible humanitarian emergency in the same continent has not attracted the attention it deserves.
The Central African Republic is currently being ripped apart by violence that threatens to turn the country into an ethno-religious combat zone that could produce, in the estimation of many authoritative onlookers, Rwanda-like outcomes.
It is the most urgent crisis you’ve never heard of. Many of the worst atrocities have been perpetrated by ex-members of a coalition of rebel forces known as Seleka. The group, which removed former President François Bozizé in a coup d’etat in March, were ostensibly disbanded by new President Michel Djotodia a few months ago; despite this, they have continued to terrorise the country, leaving razed villages, mass slaughter and utter devastation in their wake.
As a result of the actions of Seleka, and the preceding conflict with the former government’s forces, nearly 400,000 people have been displaced; the use of rape, torture and extra-judicial killings has become widespread. On top of that, malaria is rife and hospitals are overloaded to breaking point.
In short, civilians in the country are enduring, in the words of Jan Eliasson, the United Nation’s deputy secretary general, “suffering beyond imagination.”
At present, as French Peacekeeping forces enter the nation with the approval of the UN Security Council, whole communities are suspended on the edge of a precipice. As weapons and foreign mercenaries flood into the areas dominated by the predominantly Muslim ex-Seleka forces, the majority Christian population has begun to arm itself and commit extremely serious crimes targeting their counterparts - and civilians that live in the areas they control.
The situation has become so severe that the credible threat of genocide has been cited by the United Nations. The relatively modest African-led peacekeeping force known as MISCA (a French acronym for International Support Mission in the Central African Republic - comprised of African Union and French troops) present in the country should ensure that humanitarian aid, food and medicine in particular, reaches those most vulnerable and at need. Moreover, the intervention should not be a short-term fix but the first step in a committed global response that ensures this neglected crisis ends permanently.
With the very real possibility of hostilities breaking out again after a presumptive quelling of violence it is essential the international community resolves to find long-term solutions for the Republic. This would require the transformation of MISCA into an expanded UN peacekeeping force, an international commission of inquiry and a commitment to fund efforts for lasting reconciliation between estranged communities - in the spirit of Mandela’s post-apartheid South Africa.
While these measures need to be undertaken as soon as possible and all focus should be on efforts to save lives and rein in the violence, the current situation should also prompt the media to consider why, yet again, a great crisis in Africa has gone so criminally under-reported.
