21 Aug 2017 | 12:53 PM UTC
CAR: Various deadly clashes August 14-20
Clashes erupted in several areas throughout the country (Zemio, Bria, Kaga Bandoro) August 14-20; at least 50 killed
Event
Armed clashes carried out by diverse groups erupted in towns throughout the country between August 14 and August 20, resulting in the deaths of at least 50 people.
• According to local sources, militants suspected of belonging to the Janjaweed group (a Darfur-based Sudanese Arab militia) together with militants from the Fulani ethnic group carried out a joint attack in the town of Zemio (southeast), killing at least ten people.
• Further violence attributed to members of the ex-Seleka Patriotic Movement for the Central African Republic (MPC) was reported on August 18, in the Kaga Bandoro region (central CAR), where at least ten people were killed.
• In Bria (northeast), at least 13 people were killed and 20 others injured on August 19 in clashes between the Anti-Balaka armed group and the Popular Front for the Renaissance of the Central African Republic (FPRC), a predominantly Muslim faction of the ex-Seleka rebel group. Deadly clashes were also reported here August 15-16 (20 killed).
Further clashes cannot be ruled out in the coming days.
Context
Religious conflicts have ravaged the CAR since December 2013. Despite a ceasefire signed between 13 rebel groups and the government on June 19, clashes remain frequent throughout the country. The conflict has resulted in hundreds of deaths, created almost 1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), and pushed more than 500,000 people to seek refuge in the neighboring countries of Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Chad.
Bria - located approximately 580 km (360 mi) northeast of the capital Bangui - has been under FPRC control since mid-June, when the group carried out an attack against residents that killed at least 50 individuals and resulted in the vast majority of residents fleeing their homes. Nearly 90 percent of Bria's 45,000 inhabitants have yet to return.
Advice
Many Western governments advise against travel to the CAR due to these and other security concerns. Travel should only be considered with proper security protocols in place.
