CAR: Medecins Sans Frontières leaves Bangassou Nov. 21

Event

On Monday, November 20, unidentified armed men robbed a building occupied by the NGO Medecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders; MSF) and threatened its employees in Bangassou (southeast). The NGO announced the following day that it would cease all activities in the area as a result. All local and international employees have been evacuated. According to a local source, two Anti-Balaka rebel groups have been attempting to take control of the city over the past three weeks, leading to deteriorating security conditions.

Context

Religious conflicts have ravaged the Central African Republic since December 2013. Despite a ceasefire signed between 13 rebel groups and the government on June 19 of this year, 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 neighboring Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Chad.

Advice

Individuals present in Bangassou are advised to monitor local developments, maintain a high degree of situational awareness, and avoid all public gatherings due to the risk of violence.