CAR: Militias clash in N’Délé June 20

Event

Members of two ex- Séléka militias, the Popular Front for the Renaissance of the Central African Republic (FPRC) and Patriotic Movement for the Central African Republic (MPC), clashed in the northeastern town of N’Délé on the night (local time) of Wednesday, June 20. According to the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), the fighting lasted for about an hour. MINUSCA peacekeepers were deployed into N’Délé and the situation has reportedly calmed. According to local sources, an unconfirmed number of civilians and militiamen were killed in the clashes. Further clashes are possible in N’Délé in the coming days.

Context

According to a member of the FPRC, the fighting broke out due to a disagreement between members of two ethnic groups that are part of the militias. 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.