CAR: Clashes in Haut-Mbomou April 1

Event

On Sunday, April 1, several heavily-armed men belonging the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group attacked the village of Koubou in the Haut-Mbomou region (southeast). UN troops from the MINUSCA operation in CAR quickly repelled the attack and liberated 15 hostages. An increased security presence is expected in the region in the coming months.

Context

Religious conflicts have afflicted CAR since December 2013. The conflict has led to 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. 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.

Despite a regional intervention by security forces, the east and the southeast of the country remain vulnerable to the LRA - a Ugandan militia led by Joseph Kony - which often carries out attacks against the local population.

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.