Central African Republic - The African Mirror

Feb

2021

Children seen at risk of recruitment in C.A.R fighting

EMELINE WUILBERCQ ARMED groups have recruited nearly 3,000 children in Central African Republic (CAR) since violence flared over a December 27 election result and more are at risk as aid fails to reach many people driven from their homes, aid workers said. More than 210,000 people have been uprooted by the fighting, with children increasingly vulnerable to forcible recruitment as humanitarian supplies are cut off by widespread violence and attacks on aid convoys, leaving tens of thousands in dire need. "Children are increasingly exposed to recruitment by armed men for about $30, and many carry the scars and trauma from…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Ex-soccer executive on trial at ICC for C.A.R

NEWS

STEPHANIE VAN DER BERG TWO men accused of leading Christian-dominated militias in widespread attacks on Muslims in the Central African Republic (CAR) go on trial today at the International Criminal Court. Prosecutors say that Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona, a former top African football executive, was a senior leader and national coordinator of the so-called anti-Balaka militias in 2013 and 2014. Ngaissona, 53, has been charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, persecution and torture. Co-accused Alfred Yekatom, 46, a former militia commander also known as "Rambo", faces similar charges to Ngaissona with additional counts for his alleged use…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Race against time to help thousands of Central African refugees

HUMAN RIGHTS

TWICE in his long life, 74-year-old Joseph had to flee conflict in the Central African Republic. When violence erupted ahead of the country's elections in December, he knew it would be a third. "There was war, so we had to flee. It is the third time I am fleeing my country. I am tired. At my age, you can imagine that I am not only tired but I feel despair and anguish," says Joseph wearily. He had previously fled his hometown of Bangassou, some 700 kilometres from the capital Bangui, to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 2013.…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Aid convoy beats blockade to reach Central African Republic’s capital

NEWS

A convoy of humanitarian aid reached the capital of Central African Republic on Monday - the first since attacks by rebel groups blocked a major transport route from Cameroon in January, the U.N. peacekeeping mission said. A surge in violence linked to a disputed December 27 election has forced more than 200,000 civilians to flee and brought other parts of the country to a standstill, stalling flows of food and driving up prices for basic goods in the capital Bangui. With an aerial escort, 13 of 100 blocked aid trucks were able to transport food and medicine along the 583-kilometre…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

C.A.R extends state of emergency for 6 months

NEWS

The Central African Republic (CAR) has extended a state of emergency for six months as it combats rebel groups, the government has announced. The CAR army, backed by United Nations, Russian and Rwandan troops, has been battling rebels who are trying to overturn a Dec. 27 election in which President Faustin-Archange Touadera won re-election. The state of emergency, initially declared on January 21, allows the military to detain suspects without going through a prosecutor. "The government asked the National Assembly (to extend it), and it accepted," government spokesman Ange Maxime Kazagui said. "We are in a state of war, and…

Feb

2021

By The African Mirror

Thousands of Central Africans seek refuge in Cameroon

NEWS

Sitting at the bar of a hotel in Garoua-Boulaï, a small town in eastern Cameroon on the border with the Central African Republic, a middle-aged man makes a series of phone calls. Just a few weeks ago, he was a candidate in legislative elections in the Central African town of Bouar. Insurgent incursions and violence put an end to his campaign. Together with many other inhabitants of the town, including farmers, merchants and civil servants, he had to flee in the direction of Cameroon. "Now I'm stuck. The road is blocked," explains the man*, who is now looking for a…

Jan

2021

By The African Mirror

More than 200,000 flee conflict in C.A.R

NEWS

EMMA FARGE MORE than 200,000 people have fled fighting in the Central African Republic (CAR) since violence erupted over a December election result, the U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) said, with nearly half crossing into the Democratic Republic of Congo. The CAR army, backed by U.N., Russian and Rwandan troops, has been battling rebels seeking to overturn a December 27 vote in which President Faustin-Archange Touadera was declared the winner. "Refugees have told UNHCR that they fled in panic when they heard gun shots, leaving their belongings behind," spokesman Boris Cheshirkov told journalists in Geneva. The nation of nearly five million…

Jan

2021

By The African Mirror

Central African Republic top court confirms President Touadera’s re-election

NEWS

ANTOINE ROLLAND CENTRAL African Republic's highest court on Monday confirmed the re-election of President Faustin-Archange Touadera, rejecting rivals' objections as the government continues to fend off a rebel offensive. The weeks before and after the December 27 election have been marred by a rebel assault on major cities. The rebels attacked the capital Bangui last week before being repelled by the army and U.N. peacekeepers. The fighting has forced nearly 60,000 people to flee the country, according to the United Nations, compounding an already dire refugee crisis. Ten of Touadera's challengers said the election should be re-run, citing low turnout…

Jan

2021

By The African Mirror

CAR coup ‘adventure has no future’

NEWS

A top French general in West Africa has dismissed calls for his country to engage more in Central African Republic (CAR) after rebels earlier this week attempted to take the capital Bangui, saying that the situation was different to a rebellion in 2013. The Central African army has been battling groups backed by former president Francois Bozize that are seeking to overturn a December 27 vote in which President Faustin-Archange Touadera was declared victor despite fraud claims. Russia and Rwanda have sent troops to back the government. A separate U.N. peacekeeping mission also operates in the country, but France, which…

Jan

2021

By The African Mirror

IMF approves $34.4 million disbursement for Central African Republic

BUSINESS

THE International Monetary Fund's (IMF) executive board approved a disbursement to Central African Republic of about $34.4 million after completing the first and second reviews of its $115 million loan program, the Fund has said. The country is facing the duel challenges of the coronavirus pandemic as well as a resurgent rebel offensive launched in opposition to elections held last month. IMF Deputy Managing Director Mitsuhiro Furusawa said in a statement that the fallout from the virus appeared to have receded, but the economy remained fragile. "The Covid-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on C.A.R's economy but appears to…