CAR: Tensions remain in Bangui April 10 /update 2

Event

As of the evening of Tuesday, April 10, the PK5 area of Bangui remains tense following recent armed conflict between local militias and UN peacekeepers. Government authorities, along with UN peacekeepers, have reportedly been unable to enter the neighborhood due to militia presence. Prime Minister Simplice Sarandji reiterated his government’s aim to rid the capital of armed militias during a speech on Monday, April 9, raising the possibility of further armed conflict in the city.

Context

Bangui has been regularly affected by deadly clashes between the Christian Anti-Balaka group and ex-Seleka Muslim militias, particularly in the PK5 district, which has long been a center of ethnic violence. Tensions have increased since mid-January following the decision of local businessmen to stop paying self-defense militias that had been providing "protection" since 2014; they also filed a number of complaints against the groups and demanded their bases in the PK5 neighborhood be dismantled by MINUSCA. On April 8, unidentified armed men attacked a UN MINUSCA base in Bangui, and clashes between the gunmen and UN peacekeepers lasted several hours. Earlier in the day, MINUSCA peacekeepers launched a security operation in the Muslim-majority PK5 district of the capital.

Advice

Individuals present in Bangui are advised to monitor local developments and maintain a high degree of situational awareness.

More generally, a number of Western governments advise their citizens against travel to the east and northeast of the country for various security reasons, including the presence of armed groups and ongoing conflicts.