Exclusive report: CAR on the brink of chaos
In the wake of a rebellion in March, the Central African Republic's new
leaders have failed to stop waves of looting and killing by gunmen with free
reign outside the capital Bangui. Watch FRANCE 24’s exclusive report from a
country on the brink.
By <
http://www.france24.com/en/category/tags-auteurs/france-24> FRANCE 24
(text)
* Latest update: 25/09/2013
Watch the full, exclusive report from the Central African Republic on FRANCE
24, Thursday, September 26, at 4:45pm GMT.
The
<
http://www.france24.com/en/category/tags-pour-les-articles/central-african-
republic> Central African Republic has been sinking into chaos since
northern Séléka rebels seized the capital Bangui and ousted President
François Bozizé in March.
Many of the approximately 25,000 fighters of the Séléka coalition have
stopped taking orders from anyone besides their direct commanding officers,
who have begun carving up the country into fiefdoms.
Earlier this month, interim president Michel Djotodia officially
<
http://www.france24.com/en/20130913-central-african-republic-djotodia-disso
lves-seleka-rebel-group> disbanded the Séléka alliance, even banning the
rebels from any responsibilities related to security in the capital of
Bangui.
While there has been relative success in re-establishing the rule of law in
the capital of the land-locked and mineral-rich country, the new government
is proving powerless to contain
<
http://www.france24.com/en/20130909-seleka-Ruto-Bossangoa-africa-news>
waves of looting and killing in rural provinces.
In an exclusive report for FRANCE 24, journalists Etienne Huver and Boris
Heger ventured to the community of Bossangoa, around 250 km northwest of
Bangui on September 11.
Under UN military escort they crossed dozens of villages that have been
abandoned by residents that are targeted by rivalling camps. Vigilante
groups regularly harass government forces passing through the region.
About 50 km outside Bossangoa they found a burnt-out village that had been
the recent scene of murder and pillage. Six people were killed with
machetes.
Djotodia is the first Muslim president of an overwhelmingly Christian
country, and angry armed groups have began targeting Muslim communities.
The potential for inter-ethnic violence on a large scale has never been
worse, according to local religious leaders who are struggling to calm the
population.
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Received on Wed Sep 25 2013 - 18:04:42 EDT