Obo, Central African Republic | AFP | Every morning, Joseph gets on his motorbike to tend to his field of manioc, in the thick bush surrounding the Obo, in southeastern Central African Republic. This day, though, is not ordinary. Joseph is tense with worry. There are rumours that the Lord’s …
Read More »Gabon to quit UN peacekeeping force in CAfrica
Libreville, Gabon | AFP | Gabon is to withdraw its forces from the UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, a force known by its initials of MINUSCA The cabinet on Thursday endorsed a request by the defence ministry to pull out the country’s troops in MINUSCA, “given the …
Read More »Six aid workers killed in C. Africa
Bangui, Central African Republic | AFP | Unknown attackers have killed six humanitarian workers including one from the United Nations children’s fund UNICEF in the northwest of the Central African Republic, the UN said Wednesday. The world body’s Minusca mission “condemned the attack which led to the death of the …
Read More »C.Africa deploys troops to flashpoint after deadly clashes
Bangui, Central African Republic | AFP | The government of Central African Republic deployed troops alongside United Nations peacekeepers Saturday to a flashpoint district on Bangui after clashes between rival groups left at least three people dead. “The government must restore peace,” said security minister General Henri Wanzet Liguissara in …
Read More »Three dead, seven hurt as armed groups clash in C.Africa flashpoint
Bangui, Central African Republic | AFP | Three people were killed and at least seven others wounded in clashes which erupted overnight between armed groups in a flashpoint district of Bangui, Central African Republic’s capital, medical sources said. An AFP correspondent saw two bodies at the mosque in PK5, the last …
Read More »Thousands flee militia violence in C.Africa
Bangui, Central African Republic | AFP | About 7,400 people have been forced to flee their homes as fighting raged between rival militias in northwest Central African Republic, the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Thursday. The internally displaced people in the area of Markounda since late …
Read More »‘Militia coordinator’ elected to African football’s executive board
Casablanca, Morocco | AFP | A controversial former minister who coordinates armed groups in conflict-hit Central African Republic was on Friday elected to the governing board of Africa’s top footballing body. Patrice Edouard Ngaissona, who is Central Africa’s football chief, was elected following a vote in Casablanca among delegates at …
Read More »In C. Africa, traders face off with militia over extortion demands
Bangui, Central African Republic | AFP | The pot-holed streets of Bangui’s Muslim quarter are lined with stalls plying their trade to a cacophony of honking horns and cars backfiring — a comforting image of bustling life in Central African Republic’s capital. But beneath this veneer of normalcy, many traders …
Read More »UN to slap sanctions for hate speech in C. Africa
United Nations, United States | AFP | The UN Security Council on Tuesday maintained an arms embargo on the Central African Republic and added incitement to hatred as well as attacks on aid workers as criteria for sanctions. The council unanimously adopted a French-drafted resolution that would pave the way to …
Read More »UN urges C. Africa mission to safeguard civilian lives
Libreville, Gabon | AFP | An internal inquiry for the United Nations recommends tactical changes to the UN mission in the Central African Republic to protect civilians, according to findings made available Friday to AFP. “(The mission) MINUSCA should overhaul its strategy to protect civilians to ensure that its operational …
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