CAR: Further clashes in Birao September 14-15 /update 2

Event

The death toll from clashes in Birao (northeast) between the Movement of Central African Liberators for Justice (MLCJ) and the Popular Front for the Renaissance of the Central African Republic (FPRC) have risen to at least 38 as of Monday, September 16. This comes after the resumption of violence over the weekend on September 14-15. Disputes between the two groups have been ongoing since early September. One peacekeeper from the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) was also wounded, as a MINUSCA contingent was deployed to the region to prevent further violence against the civilian population.

While the situation has calmed down as of Tuesday, September 17, tensions remain high in Birao, and further violence between rival armed groups is possible in the near term.

Context

Fighting between the two armed groups since early September has displaced more than 13,000 people and resulted in homes being looted and destroyed.

The Central African Republic (CAR) has suffered recurrent bouts of civil conflict since December 2012, which has led to hundreds of deaths and almost 700,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs), and has 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, although a peace agreement between armed groups and the government was signed on February 6.

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 most of the east of the country for various security reasons, including the presence of armed groups.