CAR: Gunman kills and wounds four in Ouaka prefecture June 20

Event

Local media reported on Wednesday, June 20, that a gunman killed one person and wounded three others at a Catholic church in Ippy (Ouaka prefecture). Following the incident, dozens of residents reportedly fled the town fearing further violence. The gunman is suspected to have ties to ex-Séléka militias.

In a separate event, Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) militants abducted eight people in Obo (Haut-Mbomou prefecture) over the weekend of June 16-17. Additional attacks by ex-Séléka and LRA militants are possible in Ouaka and Haut-Mbomou prefectures in the near-term.

Context

The Central African Republic (CAR) has suffered recurrent bouts of civil conflict since December 2012 which has led to hundreds of deaths, created almost 700,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), and pushed more than 500,000 people to seek refuge in neighboring Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Chad. Clashes between various armed groups continue to be reported on a regular basis despite the June 2017 signing of a ceasefire agreement between the CAR government and 13 out of the 14 rebel groups present in the country.

Advice

Individuals present in CAR are advised to monitor local developments, maintain a high degree of situational awareness, and remain vigilant for potential militant activity.

In general, 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.