Central African Republic horrors

This item appears on page 14 of the January 2014 issue.

The US Department of State advises against all travel to the Central African Republic (CAR). 

Indiscriminate violence and looting followed the March 2013 overthrow of the government of CAR, and the new transitional government has been unable to provide for security. In the absence of basic law and order, criminality has sharply risen. 

Armed rebel groups, militias, bandits and poachers present real dangers throughout the country. Recently, there has been an upsurge in attacks by rebel militias on rival militias and on villages, leading to many reports of atrocities and a call for international intervention to prevent genocide. France responded by sending in 1,000 troops.

In eastern CAR, the presence of the Lord’s Resistance Army poses a continued security threat. 

Spontaneous demonstrations take place in the CAR in response to world events or local developments. The capital, itself, Bangui, also suffers from severely limited transport and medical options. Armed actors staff checkpoints throughout the city, harassing local and expatriate travelers for bribes. The US Embassy in Bangui suspended operations in December 2012.