Central African Republic

waltky · Apr 16, 2014

UNHCR is broke...

'Broke' U.N. agency pleads for help in Central African Republic
Wed Apr 16, 2014 - Inter-communal violence is tearing Central African Republic apart but the conflict is not getting the attention, or aid, needed to save huge numbers of lives, the head of the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Wednesday.

Almost 200,000 people have fled the country since December, and a further 160,000 are expected to this year. The UNHCR says it is spending cash there three times as fast as new funds are coming in, putting its mission in jeopardy. "Indeed, we are in trouble," UNHCR chief Antonio Guterres told diplomats as he launched a $274 million appeal. Central African Republic is only one crisis among many demanding U.N. funds stretched by humanitarian needs in South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen, as well as natural disasters such as Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, and above all, Syria. "Obviously there's no way we'll to be able to sustain this until the end of the year," Guterres told the diplomats. "At a certain moment we will be simply broke."

Central African Republic's government fell a year ago to Muslim Seleka rebels who were routed in December by Christian militia forces, unleashing anarchy and ethnic cleansing. "When you start cutting people into pieces and roasting them," Guterres told reporters, "It's not an army against an army - it's people doing horrible things to their neighbors." But the crisis has no major economic or strategic repercussions beyond the country's immediate neighbors, he said, so it gets little attention from the outside world. "People do not feel threatened. People feel threatened with Syria, people feel threatened with Ukraine and what might happen. Even Somalia. But in relation to the Central African Republic people don't feel threatened, don't know where it is, it's very difficult, they've never heard about it."

"HEART-WRENCHING"

Diplomats at the meeting were effusive in their support but only Japan's ambassador pledged actual financial aid, and even he admitted to being not well informed on the subject. "What I heard today is much more dramatic than I had imagined before I came to this chamber," Ambassador Takashi Okada said. The U.N. appeal included a gallery of photographs of wounded and malnourished refugees arriving in Cameroon, but the official chairing the meeting said they were too "heart-wrenching" to inflict on the diplomats, who were invited to stay behind afterwards if they wanted to view them. About half left. Although the U.N. Security Council last week authorized the creation of a nearly 12,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping force, it is not due to be in place until mid-September.

William Lacy Swing, head of the International Organization for Migration and a former U.S. ambassador to Central African Republic, said the country could not wait, and the current French and African Union forces were not big enough. "The number 1 priority is to stop the fighting. You will not arrive at that without the (U.N.) blue helmets," said Swing. "Unfortunately September's a long time away. A lot of people are going to die before that force can be assembled and deployed." The first priority had to be to secure the capital Bangui, creating "zones of peace" to bring people out of 70 or more "spontaneous settlements around town where people are hunkered down hoping to avoid being killed", he said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014...3F1PE20140416?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews
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waltky · Apr 28, 2014

Muslims get out of the Central African Republic while the gettin's good...

1,300 MUSLIMS LEAVE C. AFRICAN REPUBLIC CAPITAL
Apr 27,`14 -- Heavily armed peacekeepers escorted some of the last remaining Muslims out of Central African Republic's volatile capital on Sunday, trucking more than 1,300 people who for months had been trapped by violent Christian militants.

Within minutes of the convoy's departure, an angry swarm of neighbors descended upon the mosque in a scene of total anarchy. Tools in hand, they swiftly dismantled and stole the loudspeaker once used for the call to prayer and soon stripped the house of worship of even its ceiling fan blades.

One man quickly scrawled "Youth Center" in black marker across the front of the mosque. Others mockingly swept the dirt from the ground in front of the building with brooms and shouted "We have cleaned Central African Republic of the Muslims!" "We didn't want the Muslims here and we don't want their mosque here anymore either," said Guy Richard, 36, who loads baggage onto trucks for a living, as he and his friends made off with pieces of the mosque.

Muslims with their belongings are seen before they are escorted by French peacekeepers from their homes in Bangui, Central African Republic, Sunday, April 27, 2014. Heavily armed African and French peacekeepers escorted some of the last remaining Muslims out of Central African Republics volatile capital on Sunday, trucking more than 1,300 people who for months had been trapped in their neighborhood by violent Christian militants. Within minutes of the convoys departure, an angry swarm of neighbors descended upon the mosque in a scene of total anarchy. Tools in hand, they swiftly dismantled and stole the loudspeaker once used for the call to prayer and soon stripped the house of worship of even its ceiling fan blades.

Armed Congolese peacekeepers stood watch but did not fire into the air or attempt to stop the looting. Soon teams of thieves were stripping the metal roofs of nearby abandoned Muslim businesses in the PK12 neighborhood of Bangui. "Pillage! Pillage!" children cried as they helped cart away wood and metal. "The Central Africans have gone crazy, pillaging a holy place," said Congolese peacekeeper Staff Sgt. Pety-Pety, who refused to give his first name, as the mosque came under attack from militants. The anti-Balaka fighters showed up in their trademark wigs and hats with animal horns, donned in the amulets they believe protect them from the enemy's bullets.

Sunday's exodus further partitions the country, a process that has been underway since January, when a Muslim rebel government gave up power nearly a year after overthrowing the president of a decade. The United Nations has described the forced displacement of tens of thousands of Muslims as "ethnic cleansing." While previous groups have been taken to neighboring Chad, Sunday's convoys were headed to two towns in the north on the Central African Republic side of the border.

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Looting Follows Evacuation of Muslims in CAR
April 27, 2014 ~ Heavily armed peacekeepers have escorted some of the last remaining Muslims out of Central African Republics capital, Bangui, trucking more than 1,300 people who for months had been trapped by Christian militants.

Moments after the convoys departed Sunday, Christians swarmed into and picked apart houses and a mosque in Bangui's PK12 neighborhood, which had been a Muslim stronghold in the majority Christian south. Armed Congolese peacekeepers stood watch, but did not attempt to stop the looting.

Christians carry property left behind by the Muslim community who were evacuated from the PK12 neighborhood in Bangui

The exodus further partitions the country, a process that has been under way since January, when a Muslim rebel government gave up power nearly a year after overthrowing the president of a decade.
The United Nations has described the forced displacement of tens of thousands of Muslims as "ethnic cleansing.''

Earlier, Reuters news agency reported that at least 22 people, including 15 local chiefs and three local members of staff of the medical charity Doctors Without Borders, were killed in an attack about 450 kilometers north of Bangui. A local official told the news agency most were killed in an attack on a clinic run by the charity while the chiefs were holding a meeting there.

http://www.voanews.com/content/looting-follows-evacuation-of-muslims-in-car/1902347.html
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waltky · Oct 12, 2014

Peacekeepers come under fire in C.A.R....

Two killed, six peacekeepers wounded in Central African Republic
Sat Oct 11, 2014 - Two people were killed in fighting in the capital of Central African Republic and six peacekeepers from Burundi and Cameroon were wounded in an ambush, a spokeswoman for the United Nations mission in the country said on Saturday.

The violence follows days of fighting that threatens the interim government of President Catherine Samba-Panza, who took office in January aiming to end two years of unrest in which thousands have died and more than 1 million have fled. Samba-Panza said she would not step down in the face of heightened political pressure and there were signs late on Saturday that tensions could be easing as one militia group withdrew its call for her resignation. "I will not resign. I must lead this country until the end of my mission," Samba-Panza told state radio.

The unrest is a struggle for power and resources in an impoverished country with reserves of gold and diamonds. Rival communities have also clashed across religious lines. Those killed overnight include a gendarme and a local leader for a militia known as "anti-balaka", whose adherents follow Christianity and animism. The peacekeepers were attacked in a neighborhood near the Bangui airport and two were seriously hurt, Myriam Dessables, a spokeswoman for the country's UN mission MINUSCA, told Reuters.

The United Nations took over peacekeeping in mid-September from a mission run by the African Union. The country was plunged into chaos as mostly Muslim rebels from a coalition called the "Seleka" seized power in March 2013. Its rule was marked by abuses that prompted a backlash from the "anti-balaka". France sent troops to its former colony and an existing African peacekeeping force was beefed up.

Sporadic violence has continued despite the Seleka leader's resignation from the presidency in January. A Reuters witness said there was little gunfire in the capital on Saturday after days of violence rated the worst in months. Dessables said some airline companies had canceled flights to Bangui for security reasons.

"ARRESTED IN ERROR"
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waltky · Sep 29, 2015

Prob'ly dem Mooslamics don't want a woman runnin' things...

Central African Republic leader leaves UN early due to violence in Bangui
29 Sept.`15 - Central African Republic's interim president, Catherine Samba-Panza, left the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Monday to return home due to the worst violence in the capital of her country this year, two Western diplomats said.

Around 30 people have been killed and over 100 more injured in three days of intercommunal clashes in Bangui, a city secured by U.N. and French peacekeepers. The violence has sparked fears that Samba-Panza could be overthrown. "She left (New York) to go back to Central Africa because of the security situation," a diplomat told Reuters.

Earlier, hundreds of prisoners escaped from the main jail in the capital and U.N. peacekeepers fired warning shots to disperse thousands of protesters calling for the rearming of the army. At least one person was killed. "There is no one in the prison," said a senior gendarmerie source, referring to the Ngaraba jail.

Catherine Samba-Panza, interim President of the Central African Republic, addresses a plenary meeting of the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit 2015 at the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan, New York September 26, 2015. More than 150 world leaders are expected to attend the three day summit to formally adopt an ambitious new sustainable development agenda, according to a U.N. press statement.

In New York, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the U.N. Security Council condemned the violence. "(Ban) strongly condemns all acts of violence and calls for an immediate end to the unacceptable violence and retaliatory attacks," his press office said. "He urges the Central African Republics Transitional Authority to do everything within its means to prevent further violence." The Security Council warned in a statement that it remains prepared to blacklist individuals and entities that undermine peace and stability in the country.

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waltky · Sep 29, 2015

Central African Republic heatin' up again...

Concerns Grow Over Latest CAR Violence
September 29, 2015 U.N. agencies are warning of a resurgence in widespread ethnic and religious fighting in Central African Republic, following the recent outbreak of fighting which has left dozens dead and scores injured in the capital, Bangui.

The United Nations reports clashes and reprisal attacks involving rival militias since Saturday have killed at least 37 people and injured more than 100 others in Central African Republic. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon is strongly condemning the violence that was triggered by the murder Saturday of a young Muslim man in Bangui. He also is expressing deep concern over the escape of more than 500 prisoners Monday from Banguis main prison, noting the threat to civilians. Meanwhile U.N. troops have been deployed to restore order in the city.

A wounded man is being carried into the General Hospital in Bangui on Sept. 26, 2015, after unknown assailants opened fire in the PK5 district, a neighborhood with a majority of Muslim residents.

U.N. refugee agency spokesman Leo Dobbs said the situation remains tense with shooting in central Bangui. We fear that the violence that we are seeing in Bangui is a return to the dark days of late 2013 and 2014 when thousands were killed, and tens of thousands had to flee their homes," said Dobbs. "We are particularly concerned about getting access to the thousands of people who have fled their homes since Saturday. Presidential elections are scheduled for October 18, though it is widely expected they will be postponed.

Interim President Catherine Samba-Panza cut short her trip to the U.N. General Assembly in New York so she could return to Bangui to deal with this crisis. The UNHCR estimates at least 27,400 people have been displaced. U.N. agencies say people displaced by the violence are in urgent need of basic aid. Several international organizations including the UNHCR (U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees) and IOM (International Organization for Migration) have had their compounds looted.

http://www.voanews.com/content/conc...ting-in-central-african-republic/2984037.html
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Hundreds of soldiers, militiamen escape from Central African Republic prison
Sept. 29, 2015 -- Violence that has killed more than 30 people continues in the Central African Republic as hundreds of inmates escaped from a prison in Bangui, the capital.

Clashes between the anti-Balaka Christian militia and Muslim groups began Saturday after a Muslim taxi driver was killed. Anti-Balaka attacked the Ngaragba prison in Bangui and freed hundreds of soldiers and militiamen Monday evening. The CAR has experienced increased violence and unrest since the Seleka Muslim rebel group seized power in March 2013 and was later ousted, sparking violent reprisals against the country's Muslim population. Thousands of Muslims have fled their homes. An interim government was established in January 2014 and presidential elections were scheduled for October.

Catherine Samba Panza, president of the Transitional Government Central African Republic, cut her trip short to the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Monday to return to her country, which is experiencing an upsurge of violence.

Interim CAR President Catherine Samba Panza cut short her trip to the United Nations General Assembly in New York City to return to Bangui. Protesters marched onto the presidential palace on Monday demanding for the army's power to be increased, as it has been reduced since the interim government was installed. The UN called for the "immediate end to the sudden eruption of violence" and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon "strongly condemns all acts of violence." "He urges the Central African Republic's leaders and partners in the sub-region to work closely with [the U.N. Mission in the Central African Republic] to prevent the violence from derailing the political process and to ensure that the transition is concluded in a timely manner, in order to chart a sustainable path to peace," read a statement by the UN.

Security Council members also expressed "deep concern about the latest developments and called for an immediate end to the violence." "They strongly condemned such violence, including all attacks against civilians, violence between communities, as well as attacks against humanitarian personnel, and recalled that those responsible should be held accountable before justice," the statement read.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-N...-Republic-prison/3821443530962/?spt=sec&or=tn
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waltky · Nov 11, 2015

Where will these refugees go?

5,000 flee Central African Republic camp after rebel attack
Nov 11,`15 -- U.N. officials say at least five people are dead and thousands have fled a camp for displaced people in Central African Republic after it came under attack by rebel fighters.

The violence took place in the northern town of Batangafo, the U.N. refugee agency said Wednesday. A preliminary report says that Muslim fighters killed five people in retaliation after two young Muslims had been killed earlier in the day there.

Charles Mballa, the UNHCR's deputy representative in the country, condemned the "horrific acts."

Tensions are mounting ahead of national elections set for late December in Central African Republic. As a result of violence over the last few years, some 860,000 people have been forced from their homes. Pope Francis is due to visit the capital later this month.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...ME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-11-11-13-57-50
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waltky · Dec 17, 2015

Preliminary results from Sunday's referendum show 90 percent voting yes...

Voters in CAR Show Overwhelming Support for New Constitution
December 17, 2015 - Voters in the Central African Republic appear to have overwhelmingly approved a new constitution aimed at stopping more than three years of violence between Muslims and Christians.

Preliminary results from Sunday's referendum show 90 percent voting yes. Voting in parts of the country where militias threatened violence, including a Muslim neighborhood in Bangui, was postponed. Those ballots have yet to be counted. The Red Cross says five people were killed and at least 20 others injured Sunday as supporters and opponents of the referendum traded gunfire in Bangui.

Voters line up outside a polling station in Bangui, to vote for a constitutional referendum

Hundreds marched to the headquarters of U.N. peacekeepers in the capital Wednesday, demanding that the "enemies of peace" be driven out. If passed, the new constitution would limit the president to two five-year terms, cut the power of the military, and ensure religious freedom. Elections for a new president and parliament are scheduled for later this month.

Thousands have been killed and hundreds of thousands driven from their homes since Muslim Seleka rebels briefly seized power in CAR and ousted President Francois Bozize. This led to the rise of a Christian militia and brutal fighting between Christians and Muslims. Christians also are angered about a court decision barring Bozize from running in the upcoming election. A U.N. peacekeeping force is in CAR and Pope Francis visited last month, urging peace.

Voters in CAR Show Overwhelming Support for New Constitution
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waltky · Jan 5, 2016

Vote count halted to prevent unrest after fraud alleged...

C. African Republic candidates call for halt to vote count
Jan 4,`16 -- Counting of Central African Republic's national elections must stop, about two-thirds of the 30 presidential candidates said Monday, alleging fraud.

Some 20 candidates made the demand at a news conference, after nearly 40 percent of the country's vote had been counted. About 16 candidates signed a declaration, saying the move will prevent unrest.

Nearly 2 million Central African Republic citizens were registered to vote Dec. 30 in much-delayed national elections meant to replace a transitional government and bring stability after years of sectarian violence. Some irregularities in voting were cited. "The nature of manipulations fundamentally calls to question the sincerity, transparency and credibility of the elections," said Theodore Kapou, an independent candidate and spokesman for the contesting candidates. "These serious shortcomings that have marred the electoral process will lead to the population's rejection of the results, inevitably causing new conflagration in the country."

People stand in line outside a polling station to cast their ballots during elections in Bangui, Central African Republic, Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2015. Thousands in Central African Republic's capital voted Wednesday in national elections with hope that a new president will lead to greater stability after years of violence.

Central African Republic has been rocked by violence since March 2013 when a largely Muslim alliance of rebel groups overthrew the president. The rebel leader left power in 2014 and a horrific backlash by the Christian anti-Balaka militia against Muslim civilians followed. The National Electoral Authority said all candidates signed an agreement to respect the electoral code of conduct, which also states that any appeal must be brought by lawful means. Candidates can contest final results before the constitutional court finalizes them.

By Monday, partial results showed Faustin Archange Touadera, prime minister until 2013, leading with about 147,000 votes, followed by another former prime minister, Anicet Georges Dologuele, with nearly 110,000 votes. Independent candidate Jean Serge Bokassa was third with nearly 69,000. Fourth-placed Desire Nzanga Bilal Kolingba, signed the declaration. The son of a former president, on Thursday he cited voting irregularities and warned against the theft of what he said was his "certain victory."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...ME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-01-04-14-35-33
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waltky · Jan 6, 2016

The blue beret or the blue helmet is supposed to represent hope...

Fresh allegations of sexual abuse made against UN peacekeepers in Central African Republic
Tuesday 5th January, 2016 -- The United Nations is investigating new allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse and other misconduct by peacekeepers in the Central African Republic (CAR), this time by forces under the world body"s flag, the top UN official there said today, as further steps are being put in place to combat the scourge.

"The blue beret or the blue helmet you wear represents hope for the vulnerable population of the CAR," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon"s Special Representative Parfait Onanga-Anyanga said, laying out new measures to help identify perpetrators and deter new cases, as well as renewing his commitment to protect whistle-blowers. The allegations are the latest to have been made against UN peacekeeping missions in recent years. Mr. Onanga-Anyanga met in Bangui, the capital, with the military and police components of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in CAR (MINUSCA), which he heads, stressing that there will be no complacency for perpetrators or accomplices of such crimes which tarnish the UN flag, the peacekeepers" identity and their country"s honour.

Today"s meeting follows Mr. Ban"s pledge last month to urgently review recommendations of an independent panel which found that the UN did not act with the "speed, care or sensitivity required," when it uncovered information about crimes committed against children by soldiers who were not under UN command. In the spring of 2014, allegations came to light that international troops serving as peacekeepers had sexually abused a number of young children in exchange for food or money. The alleged perpetrators were largely from a French military force known as Sangaris, which was operating under authorization of the Security Council but not under UN command.

Reaffirming his commitment to Mr. Ban"s policy of "zero tolerance," Mr. Onanga-Anyanga stressed that all international personnel and units will be held accountable to the highest standards of behaviour and conduct. "There is no place in UN peacekeeping for those who betray the trust of the people we are here to help," he said. He announced on-going discussions with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to carry out joint actions as part of the reinforcement of MINUSCA's ability to combat sexual exploitation and abuse.

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waltky · May 20, 2017

Rebels raidin' aid reserves in C.A.R....

Gunmen loot aid compounds in Central African Republic
Saturday 20th May, 2017 - Gunmen have looted humanitarian compounds as fighting grips the Central African Republic town of Bria, while more than 20,000 people have fled to a nearby UN peacekeeping base, authorities said.

Concerns are mounting that sectarian violence is again spiralling out of control, even in places that were previously spared during the conflict that began in late 2013. Clashes erupted in Bria again on Friday and the situation was worsening, according to the UN humanitarian agency. At least five people have been killed and several dozen wounded since the unrest began on Tuesday. "Armed groups came to humanitarian compounds and pillaged a warehouse," said the agency's chief of office for the country, Joseph Inganji. "There's fighting taking place but we don't know who's fighting who."

Clashes erupted in Bria again on Friday and the situation was worsening, according to the UN

In November, the central town was the site of fierce clashes between two splinter groups of the mostly Muslim rebel movement called Seleka that has battled with Christian militia fighters. Human Rights Watch said at least 14 people were killed over 11 days of fighting in Bria. Other previously calm parts of the country have seen deadly fighting in recent days. Since May 8, more than 150 people, including six UN peacekeepers, have been killed in attacks in the south-eastern town of Bangassou, the southern town of Alinadao and in Bria, according to the UN, which has warned the death toll could rise.

In the capital, Bangui, tensions were running high. People spoke of the fighting in Bangassou and Bria in hushed tones, turning up the radio whenever the names of the towns came on. Businesses in the Muslim neighborhood of PK5 were closed in protest at the violence in Bangassou, where Muslims were reportedly targeted. The humanitarian community's appeal for aid for Central African Republic, one of the world's poorest countries, is only 16% funded.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/n...nds-in-central-african-republic-35734097.html
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20,000 flee latest fighting in Central African Republic
May 19,`17 -- Gunmen looted humanitarian compounds as fighting gripped the Central African Republic town of Bria while more than 20,000 people have fled to a nearby U.N. peacekeeping base, authorities said Friday.

Concerns are mounting that sectarian violence is again spiraling out of control in the country, even in places that previously were spared during the conflict that began in late 2013. At least 20 people have been killed and several dozen wounded since the unrest in Bria began on Tuesday, said U.N. mission spokesman Herve Verhoosel. He told The Associated Press that fighting was focused on the Bria airport Friday morning between rebel groups. Meanwhile, U.N. troops intervened to stop youth from looting and burning houses in an area where most humanitarian organizations are based. More than 50 aid workers were now sheltering at the U.N. base, he said. Verhoosel called the situation "calm but unpredictable," with peacekeepers deployed in key areas of town.

The U.N. mission "deeply regrets that one more time, civilians pay the highest price," he said. Earlier, the U.N. humanitarian agency's chief of office for the country, Joseph Inganji, told the AP that armed groups came to humanitarian compounds in Bria and pillaged a warehouse. "There's fighting taking place but we don't know who's fighting who," he said. Attacks also targeted places of worship and government buildings, the medical charity Doctors Without Borders said in a statement, adding that at least 44 casualties had been treated at the local hospital since Monday. "These are stirring up ethnic and religious divides."

Bria in November was the site of fierce clashes between two splinter groups of the mostly Muslim rebel movement called Seleka that has battled with Christian militia fighters. Human Rights Watch said at the time that at least 14 people were killed. Other previously calm parts of the country have seen deadly fighting in recent days. Since May 8 more than 150 people, including six U.N. peacekeepers, have been killed in attacks in the southeastern town of Bangassou, the southern town of Alinadao and in Bria, according to the U.N., which has warned the death toll may rise.

In the capital, Bangui, tensions were running high. People spoke of the fighting in Bangassou and Bria in hushed tones, turning up the radio whenever the names of the towns came on. Businesses in the Muslim neighborhood of PK5 were closed in protest of the violence in Bangassou, where Muslims reportedly were targeted. The humanitarian community's appeal for aid for Central African Republic, one of the world's poorest countries, is only 16 percent funded.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/storie...ME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-05-19-14-05-04
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waltky · Oct 18, 2017

Central African Republic Continues to Deteriorate...

UN: Conditions in Central African Republic Continue to Deteriorate
October 17, 2017 — The United Nations reports conditions in Central African Republic have continued to deteriorate since a serious outbreak of inter-communal violence in mid-May between the Muslim Seleka and largely Christian anti-Balaka armed groups.

Fighting in some parts of Central African Republic has become so intense that United Nations and private aid agencies have had to suspend their activities. The U.N. humanitarian coordinator in the C.A.R., Najat Rochdi, says security has become so bad in the East, agencies have had to change their mode of operations. "We cannot do it anymore business as usual having bases, you know, here and there, but rather strengthening some hubs actually, around a number of cities where the security is much more important and from there fly in special emergency teams, a kind of surge teams," she said.

Since January, the United Nations reports a 50 percent increase in the number of internally displaced people to 600,000. Refugee numbers also have increased to nearly one-half million. Rochdi says humanitarian operations in the country are suffering from severe under-funding. She says only 39 percent of the nearly $500 million appeal for this year has been received. Because of the lack of funding, she says food rations have been cut in half. "And that there are places where actually we have stopped the food distribution. We already had very serious worsening of the malnutrition situation. For example, unfortunately, in the southeast, we started already seeing children dying from severe malnutrition," said Rochdi.

Humanitarian coordinator Rochdi says there are unconfirmed reports that 10 children have died from malnutrition-related causes in the town of Zemio in southeastern C.A.R. She says shelter and protection concerns also are growing. Another cause for alarm is education. She says 400,000 children are not going to school. She warns nearly a whole generation of children who have lost out on education may not have a viable future. And this, she says, will spell disaster for the whole country.

https://www.voanews.com/a/condition...republic-continue-to-deteriorate/4074767.html
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Many More Refugees Flee CAR Violence to Cameroon
October 07, 2017 — U.N. aid agencies are struggling to meet the needs of refugees in eastern Cameroon as multitudes flee the renewed violence in neighboring Central African Republic. The population of the Gado refugee camp has exploded from just 1,000 refugees in January to 25,000 today.

Scores of children are being attended to by medical staff at the Gado refugee camp on Cameroon's eastern border with the C.A.R. At least a hundred children fleeing with their parents have been received by humanitarian workers this week. 22-year-old Magloire Zema, who arrived at Gado last week, says she is happy her 6-month-old son has recovered his health. She says he was neither eating nor had access to clean drinkable water, but today the situation is better because he can drink milk and eat a bit of their traditional meals.

Refugees from Central Africa sit in the eastern Cameroonian village of Gado Badzere, near the city of Garoua-Boulai, not far from the border with Central Africa.

Health worker Gerimie Dicia says Magloire is lucky her son has recovered. He says many children who arrive at Gado die from hunger, malnutrition, or wounds inflicted on them by fighters while they are escaping from C.A.R. He says malnutrition and hunger are becoming public health problems for children from Central African Republic arriving in the camp. He says many of them under the age of 5 end up dying. He says when the children are brought to them at the early stages of malnourishment, they are treated for three or four days, and then are referred to their community workers for psychological and health follow up care. Religious and ethnic unrest erupted in C.A.R. after Muslim Seleka rebels seized power in the majority Christian country in 2013 and left the nation divided.

Three years of violence has killed thousands and led more than 300 000 to run for safety in neighboring Cameroon. Allegra Baiocchi, resident coordinator of the U.N. system in Cameroon, says despite the increasing number of refugees and shortage of humanitarian assistance, many refugees have continued to flee to Cameroon as the crisis escalates. "We have heard stories of unstoppable violence. People who have lost their husbands, their children, their parents on their way here," said Baiocchi. "Their first message was, 'please give us something to do, please allow us to become more self-reliant and independent,' but unfortunately there was just not enough funding. Our response is underfunded. Overall, the humanitarian response in Cameroon is 40 percent funded. When it comes to refugees, that figure goes down to 20 percent. There is not much we can do with 20 percent of the funding."

Children escaped from the Central African Republic civil war study at Gado Badzere refugee camp in Cameroon.

Najat Rochdi, the humanitarian coordinator of the United Nations office for humanitarian affairs in C.A.R. says she is launching an appeal to humanitarian agencies, the international community and persons of goodwill to help the suffering multitudes in C.A.R. and neighboring countries. She says this year the needs of the refugees have increased to $498 million. She says the refugees have come to Cameroon to meet donor agencies who relocated because of the carnage. The United Nations raised less than half of the money it asked for in its last appeal, yet the number of C.A.R. refugees and internally displaced persons has increased from 2.2 million at the beginning of this year to 2.4 million currently. Last week, Cameroon reported it had sealed its border with C.A.R. after violence had escalated.

https://www.voanews.com/a/many-more...an-republic-violence-to-cameroon/4060632.html
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waltky · Mar 9, 2018

Rape as a weapon of war...

Militia commits mass rape: MSF
Sat, Mar 10, 2018 - PEACE AND STABILITY: Gabon is to withdraw its soldiers from a UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, despite a surge in violence that started in 2016

Militia fighters attacked, kidnapped and raped en masse a large group of women in an isolated area of the Central African Republic last month, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Thursday. The medical charity treated 10 survivors of the Feb. 17 violence near Kiriwiri, a village in the country’s northwest. Fearing further attacks if they tried to reach a hospital, the women were unable to seek medical treatment until about two weeks later, it said. Many other victims remained behind, fearing that, as rape victims, they would be stigmatized in their community. “Some were totally in shock, others paralyzed by fear or unable to talk about the incident. Some of the women had open wounds caused by blades,” said Soulemane Amoin, a midwife at the hospital in the town of Bossangoa where the women were treated. “It was terrible to see. It broke my heart,” Amoin added.

The Central African Republic descended into chaos after mainly Seleka rebels ousted then-Central African president Francois Bozize in 2013, provoking a spate of killing by Anti-Balaka militias. Despite the deployment of a 12,000-strong UN peacekeeping mission, rival armed groups still stalk much of the countryside. The UN Security Council approved an extra 900 peacekeepers in November last year to help to protect civilians. However, Gabon, which contributes about 550 soldiers to the mission, on Thursday announced it was planning to withdraw its contingent, citing what it said was a “progressive return of peace and stability.” The rapes near Kiriwiri coincided with a surge in violence in Bossangoa and the surrounding areas.

In its statement, MSF said the women had left their village to fetch water and tend to their fields when the militiamen arrived. Some women fled, but others were grabbed and brought back to the militia’s base where they were repeatedly raped before being let go, it said. MSF did not identify the group behind the assault. “This attack is one of the consequences of the new wave of senseless violence that broke out at the end of 2016 and continues without let-up,” said Paul Brockmann, who heads MSF’s mission in the Central African Republic. The hospital at Bossangoa has treated 56 rape victims since September last year, up from 13 in the previous eight months, MSF reported. It has also treated about 300 victims of rape and sexual assault from around the country each month so far this year at Castor Maternity Hospital in the nation’s capital, Bangui.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2018/03/10/2003689033
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waltky · Mar 30, 2018

New York Times Columnist Nicholas Kristof draws ire for his Op-ed...

'Times' Column Is Slammed For Its Portrayal Of Central African Republic
March 30, 2018 - The column was supposed to draw attention to a crisis in a country that Americans don't often hear about in the media: the Central African Republic.

Instead, it drew fury on social media this week for its portrayal of CAR and the sources interviewed. Sarah Knuckey, a professor at Columbia University's law school and the co-director of the university's Human Rights Institute, called it "shallow" and "reckless" in its reporting. The piece, "Conflict Is More Profitable Than Peace," written by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, was published in the Times on March 25. A two-time Pulitzer winner, Kristof explains why years of violence and conflict in the CAR have created major barriers to alleviating poverty, hunger and preventable disease. Kristof argues that international donors, including the U.S. government, should amp up investments in security efforts like the U.N. peacekeeper budget — not just humanitarian aid.

The story was part of Kristof's annual "Win A Trip" contest, where he takes a promising student journalist on a reporting trip to highlight under-covered global development issues. Kristof chose the CAR because it is indeed a country in crisis. It ranks 188 out of 188 in the Human Development Index, which measures such data as life expectancy, education and per capita income. As for the story's intent, in an interview with NPR on Thursday, Kristof said, "I was writing a piece about global conflict as an impediment to development and health care. I was using CAR as an example of that. South Sudan would have been as good an example." Within hours of publication, Kristof's column was slammed in a tweetstorm on Twitter by Knuckey, who has visited the CAR in her research on human rights crimes. Her tweets ignited a conversation across the global humanitarian community.

The Central African Republic has one of the world's highest neonatal mortality rates: 1 in 24, according to UNICEF. Above: A mother holds her child during a consultation on February 14 at the maternity clinic in the town of Boali.

A few thoughts on this @NickKristof piece on the Central African Republic 1/n https://t.co/DkdYcsdVGh
— Sarah Knuckey (@SarahKnuckey) March 25, 2018

There is little recognition of the agency and work of the countless Central Africans who run NGOs, provide healthcare, work for peace, prosecute crimes, risk their lives to protect others 11/n
— Sarah Knuckey (@SarahKnuckey) March 25, 2018

He tells his readers that death results from “chaos and dysfunction,” and fails to grapple with the complexities of the conflict, the harms of colonization, the systems & structures leading to poverty 17/n
— Sarah Knuckey (@SarahKnuckey) March 25, 2018

"Kristof represented CAR as if it were miserable across the board, and that the people who live there are victims," Knuckey told NPR. "It represents a brand of journalism that has been heavily criticized for decades, and that is harmful." Kristof himself says he was a "little bit" surprised by the reaction on social media but "understands the frustration that people have with the lack of coverage about things they care deeply about," referring to researchers, academics and aid workers who work to improve conditions in the CAR. For Moussa Abdoulaye, a Central African activist, founder of a community school and consultant for media companies like Al Jazeera, VICE and HBO, perhaps the worst offense was Kristof's depiction of his country as a hopeless place. Kristof described the CAR as "the world's most wretched country," "the capital of human misery" and home to "the world's most neglected crisis."

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