CAR: Tensions remain high in Birao September 11 /update 1

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) in early September have risen to at least 20 as of Wednesday, September 11. According to the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), three days of fighting between the two armed groups from Sunday, September 1, through Tuesday, September 3, displaced 13,000 people and resulted in homes being looted and destroyed. Humanitarian organizations have deployed teams to deliver aid to displaced families, but recent rains have reportedly made it difficult to reach Birao. According to President Faustin Archange Touadéra, MINUSCA peacekeepers have been deployed to the region to prevent further violence against the civilian population.

Tensions remain high in Birao as of September 11 and further violence between rival armed groups are possible 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 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, particularly in Bangui, 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.