Human rights groups and the United Nations say more than 2,000 people have been killed in sectarian violence in the Central African Republic that escalated in March of last year. A group known as the Seleka alliance gained control of the country. The United Nations reports at estimated 400,000 people have been made homeless, and as many as 70,000 have become refugees in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon and other countries.
Violence began in December of 2012, when the group known as “Seleka” launched an attack on the government of President Francois Bozize.
In response an anti-Seleka based militia was organized by the former president [Bozize].
The majority of the people are professing Christians. Muslims make up an estimated 15 percent of the population.
News reports attribute the violence to “sectarian violence” defined as “violence among different sects of one particular mode of ideology or religion within a nation or community.
A closer examination of the history of this former French republic, which gained independence in 1960, indicates that there are other factors involved in the ongoing conflict.
While religious factions and religious beliefs are a factor in the violence in the Central African Republic, French news sources cite additional details.
The two main factions in the fighting are the Seleka group and the anti-Balaka group, which was organized in opposition to the Seleka. Western news sources have been reporting the Seleka-group is made up primarily of Muslims, while the anti-Balaka group is mainly Christian in composition.
The French newspaper Ouest France reports not all members of the Seleka are Muslims. The Catholic publication Agenzia Fides reports the majority of the anti-Balaka militia are not “Christians”. One Catholic priest in the region has been quoted by Ouest France as saying most of the members of the anti-Balaka are animists, not Christians.
Ouest France reports most of these groups were created as self-defense groups in the northern part of the country several years ago to protect people from bandits because the police and the army could not control the escalating crime.
Lawlessness is currently a major problem in the country. The United Nations has authorized an estimated 6,500 French and African peacekeepers to stop the fighting, but observers are indicating these forces have been ineffective.
President Michel Djotodia, who came to power last year in a coup, resigned last month. The Central African Republic has elected its first woman president, Catherine Samba-Panza.
She has called on all sides to stop fighting.
The United Nations has authorized an estimated 65,000 French and African peacekeepers to stop the fighting, but observers say these troops have been able to do so.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch says some African peacekeepers from Chad are cooperating with the rebels, instead of protecting the civilians.
One pastor in the Central African Republic, who wishes to be identified only as Noel spoke through Open Doors USA about the situation in the country.
“In my 20 years of service to God, I have never seen such trials as these. Since the (Muslim) Seleka (faction) came to the country, even the Muslims who whom we have always lived in peace have turned against us. They are now aggressive toward us,” he stated.
The pastor also added: “These rebels are raping our daughters and murdering our people. We know of cases where people have been locked in their homes and burned alive. Everyone trying to escape was shot dead.”
The pastor tells Open Doors USA the central African nation is “seeing the early signs of genocide.”
International Christian Concern Africa Specialist William Stark says the conflict is becoming a “religiously motivated civil war.”
Stark says when the Seleka alliance took over in March of last year, attacks on Christians increased immediately.
“Many Christians started to fear for their security and began moving into refugee camps,” Stark added.
Stark also says some Christians have been fighting back.
“Unfortunately, some Christians have decided to take matters into their own hands and have started perpetrating reprisal attacks on the Muslim community. These groups are now committing horrible acts of violence against Muslims regardless of whether or not they supported the Seleka movement,” commented Stark.
U.K.-based publication Christian Today is reporting although the Seleka group has been officially disbanded as of September of last year, members have continued their attacks- raping, looting and murdering innocent civilians- which has caused an opponent faction to be formed under the name anti-Balak.
Both sides defend the killings between the two-communities.
“At night, a man killed five people and in the morning he came and killed our sister. That’s why we went to complain to the local authorities, but we were not given any extra protection. And even this morning the man came back and shot us again. Euronews quotes one of the men as saying “that is why we went to attack him and burnt down his house.”
UNICEF reports brutality against children in the Central African Republic has reached unprecedented levels.
UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Leila Zerrougui has toured the nation.
She says not only are children among those being displaced, but that “children have been directly attacked, maimed, killed and beheaded not only in Bangui, the capital, but also in the provincial towns of Buar, Bossangoa and Bozoum. “During my visit I witnessed youth who have taken up arms. They have been manipulated by both sides and divided along religious lines. They have become both victims and perpetrators of the ongoing sectarian violence,” she added.
She added “We need to send a stronger signal to perpetrators of these atrocious crimes that they will be held to account.” She went on to say “The international community should spare no efforts and use all tools as its disposal. It is crucial to assist the transitional authorities to restore law enforcement and establish a judicial response to the ongoing violations. This is essential to deter further violence and start to re-establish trust among communities.”
Zerrougui says the UN has recorded at least 4,530 cases of sexual violence perpetrated by men believed largely to be affiliated with the Seleka group. She says there are many allegations that internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, are the scene of conflict-related sexual violence, with victims afraid to come forward due to the continued presence of these groups.
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