- A new wave of refugees reaching Chad from the north of the Central African Republic documents another round of warfare in the country. Unidentified armed groups, believed to be unpaid ex-mercenaries of President François Bozizé, again have attacked and looted villages in the north. More than 1,200 civilians have fled into Chad.
The UN's refugee agency UNHCR, through its reception of refugees in southern Chad, is one of the few sources documenting the growing violence in the Central African Republic. Several waves of refugees have crossed into Chad and Cameroon during this year, revealing unchecked looting and violent attacks in the northern part of the country. The Bangui government is silent about the low-scale warfare and seems unwilling to protect civilians in the remote region.
During the last week, a new wave of at least 1,200 refugees have arrived southern Chad. Due to poor communications during the ongoing rainy season, UNCHR officials however do not rule out that many more Central African have arrived without having been localised. All the refugees tell tales of increasing violence and looting.
- It seems that there are a lot of armed activities in the north of the Central African Republic, Marie-Christine Bocoum of UNHCR's Chad office said today. "Refugees tell us their villages have been directly attacked and that is why they left. Others said that they fled to Chad in anticipation of attacks. What is sure is that the situation is very volatile in northern Central African Republic," she said.
The latest arrivals told UNHCR they fled their villages of Kadjama, Bele and Manda in northern Central African Republic "following attacks by a group of 25 unidentified armed men between 18 and 20 July." They said they arrived in southern Chad on 21 July, but UNHCR and Chadian refugee authorities had only been able to reach them on Thursday.
The newly arrived tell the same stories as the estimated 10,000 Central Africans that fled to Chad last month. Prior to the recent arrivals, there were already 30,000 Central African refugees in southern Chad, who arrived in 2003 after the military coup that brought General Bozizé to power with the help of Chadian mercenaries and local rebels.
Most observers agree that the armed groups causing trouble in the country's north are the same mercenaries and rebels that brought General Bozizé to power in 2003. The recently elected General has been unable to pay a decent compensation to the soldiers taking him to Bangui. Local sources hold that some received a modest payment, while other refused to accept the payment as it was smaller than agreed upon.
Many of Mr Bozizé's fighters soon thereupon left Bangui, hading towards the bush. There are no confirmed reports about where these fighters went, but most theories indicate they headed back northwards and started collecting "their payments" from civilians at rifles moth. During the last years, dispersed reports about armed activities in the region have leaked out - not through Bangui but via refugees in Cameroon and Chad.
In the north-west, armed groups put in connection with Mr Bozizé's mercenaries early this year started abducting members of the cattle-owning M'bororo community, demanding ransoms. Impoverished M'bororo fled all their belongings, heading towards Cameroon. Since May, attacks have been carried out on a large number of villages and farmers and herders have been robbed regardless of ethnicity. More than 10,000 have fled into Chad.
The Bangui government however remains silent on the attacks in the north. There have been no reports of government forces heading north to assist the communities under attack. The silence and unwillingness of President Bozizé to intervene have strengthened the theory that the armed groups are affiliated to the President and operate with his silent blessing.
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.
front page
| news
| countries
| archive
| currencies
| news alerts login
| about afrol News
| contact
| advertise
| español