Amnesty International Press Release (20 Oct 2011)

Central African Republic: Civilians bear the brunt of decades of violence and abuses

Local and foreign armed groups in the CAR are still killing, abducting, torturing and raping civilians, as well as burning houses and looting property, Amnesty International said in a report released today.

The report Central African Republic – Action needed to end decades of abuse describes how CAR’s population has been terrorized for decades by armed groups who have been able to operate with virtual impunity.

Despite peace agreements and a fledgling Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration process, armed conflict continues to ravage the country resulting in civilian deaths and mass internal displacement.

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Highlights

• Conflict between CPJP and UFDR rebels
• Emergency education in the Haute-Kotto prefecture
• Logistics cluster

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Read more by downloading the Bulletin : Trait d’union N°1 (PDF – 880 KB) (French version only) >>

Sommaire

• Nouveaux déplacements des populations dans l’Ouham
• Enregistrement des réfugiés retournés dans l’Ouham Pendé
• A Mboki, l’UNHCR améliore les conditions de vie des réfugiés et personnes déplacées
• Don de l’UNHCR aux tribunaux de Birao et Ndélé
• L’UNHCR forme les réfugiés urbains en informatique et Internet

Read more by downloading the Echos UNHCR| Août 2011 N°12 (PDF) (1.7 Mo) (French version only) >>

For further details please contact:

UNHCR office in CAR
Mr. Djerassem Mbaiorem
Email: mbaiorem@unhcr.org | Phone: +236 72 22 35 11

Highlights

• Internal displaced persons (IDPs) in Markounda sub-prefecture
• The total Sanitation led by Communities approach
• Humanitarian situation on Miamani road in Bamingui-Bangoran prefecture

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Mission conjointe d’evaluation rapide de la situation des refugies, personnes deplacees internes et autres personnes vulnerables dans le sud-est de la RCA

Le plan de contingence de la République Centrafricaine (RCA) pour l’année 2011 a retenu parmi les scenarii, l’afflux d’environ 21000 refugiés du sud Soudan comme conséquence des conflits à l’issue du référendum de janvier 2011. Il prévoit également que de nombreux refugiés seraient reçus dans la zone sud-est de la RCA notamment dans la préfecture du Haut-Mbomou entre la frontière du Soudan et la ville de Mboki en passant par les villes de Bambouti et Obo, portes d’entrée en RCA et villes à proximité immédiate de la frontière.

La situation sécuritaire et humanitaire dans cette zone est précaire et pourrait s’empirer dans le temps du fait de la présence de l’Armée de Resistance du Seigneur (LRA), originaire de l’Ouganda et qui sévit dans la même zone identifiée dans le plan de contingence pour recevoir un éventuel afflux des réfugiés soudanais. La LRA utilise l’extrémité sud-est de la RCA comme un corridor pour se déplacer vers le sud Soudan où se trouverait sa base arrière. Lors des accrochages entre les Forces armées centrafricaines (FACA) et la LRA, cette dernière a conduit des représailles contre les populations civiles et les ONG internationales operant dans la zone. Ainsi, pour des raisons de securité, la présence d’acteurs humanitaires y est très limitée.

La présente mission d’évaluation rapide des besoins qui s’inscrit dans le cadre de l’Immediate Response Emergency Opération (IR EMOP preparadness) devrait permettre au bureau pays du Programme Alimentaire Mondial (PAM), ainsi qu’aux autres acteurs humanitaires de mieux comprendre la situation dans le sud-est de la RCA à travers l’évaluation de la situation humanitaire des populations en mouvements, les capacités logistiques et la capacité des partenaires à intervenir dans l’éventualité d’un accroissement des opérations du PAM dans la region.

Par ailleurs, dans le cadre des termes de réference de la mission, il est aussi prévu de procéder à l’évaluation globale de la sécurité alimentaire dans la zone, notamment la situation des refugiés, des personnes déplacées internes et celle des populations hôtes dans les villes de Obo, Mboki, Zemio (préfecture Haut Mbomou), Rafaï et Bangassou (préfecture Mbomou).

Il faut noter que la plus récente évaluation conjointe dans le sud-est à l’initiative du Bureau OCHA date de Mai 2010, à la suite des déplacements massifs internes des populations dans cette zone sous les coups de la LRA. La présente mission, en plus de mettre l’accent sur les dispositions à prendre en cas d’afflux éventuel de réfugiés soudanais, devra en même temps réévaluer la situation des réfugiés et des Personnes Déplacées Internes (PDI) déjà présents dans la region pour avoir une analyse complète de la situation dans la zone. La détérioration de la sécurité dans cette zone a eu pour consequence la reduction de la présence des acteurs humanitaires. De ce fait, les informations sont peu disponibles.

C’est dans le souci de mieux connaitre le terrain et pour parer aux éventualités que la présente mission, initiée par le PAM avec la participation des agences du SNU, ONGs et partenaires locaux, s’est déroulée dans la zone sud-est dans la période du 2 au 31 mars 2011.

Read more by downloading the evaluation report (3121 KB) (Version french only)

IPIS publishes a report examining the presence, behaviour and motivation of the armed groups operating in CAR during 2008

The International Peace Information Service (IPIS), a research institution based in Belgium, has finished their third study in the IPIS mapping series, which focuses on the conflict motives of armed groups within the Central African Republic.

IPIS describes the country as “tormented by a multitude of armed actors” who “have one thing in common: each of them would be a weak opponent for any well-organised state, but then this is exactly what the country lacks.”

The research for the report was conducted in CAR at the end of 2008.

Further information

• The report is available for download here: IPIS – Mapping Conflict Motives in CAR (PDF, 1MB)
• The report is complemented by a series of interactive web maps exploring the different actors present in CAR, together with data on natural resources, ethnic groups and incidents. The maps are available on the IPIS website at www.ipisresearch.be
• Please continue reading for IPIS’s summary of the different armed groups operating in the country

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Grave violations against children are being perpetrated by all parties to the various conflicts in the Central African Republic (CAR), including rape and armed recruitment into the fighting forces, according to a United Nations report released today.

Non-State armed groups and bandits are also kidnapping children as a means of recruitment and to threaten and extort ransom from the population, while abuses against youngsters generally are committed in a climate of impunity, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon writes in his latest report to the Security Council on children and armed conflict in CAR.

“I call on all parties to the conflict to immediately and without precondition cease the recruitment and use of children and to identify and release to the United Nations those children already in their ranks,” he says.

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Highlights

• Clashes in the north west of CAR
• New MINURCAT Police Chief
• World Bank provides US$ 7 million for Food Response Project
• UN Humanitarian Air Service in jeopardy

Background and security

Clashes in the north west of CAR
After suspending their participation in the Inclusive Political Dialogue, several clashes between the Popular army for the restoration of democracy (APRD) and government forces have been reported in the north west of the country. Fighting reportedly took place on 8 August near Ngaoundaye, on 12 August near Man, and on 13 and 14 August between Ouandago and Kabo, though the identity of the rebels in this last skirmish was not confirmed.
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The UNICEF representation in the Central African Republic has just published their monthly report for June 2008. It contains an excellent overview on the current humanitarian, political and security situation, as well as a description of UNICEF’s projects in CAR.

Here is the summary:

• CAR is placed on the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission’s agenda
• Peace agreement signed between the CAR government, APRD and UFDR
• The UN Fund grants UNICEF US$5.8million to purchase 740,000 mosquito nets
• UNICEF signs new agreements with COOPI, IMC, IPHD, IRC and Merlin
• Mass vaccination campaign against Yellow Fever is held in northwestern CAR
• International Day of the African Child is celebrated
• The construction of 404 latrines is completed in northern CAR
• Current UNICEF appeal funded at just 29%

Click here to download the report (PDF – 1.2MB)

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Download the 2008 Needs Analysis Framework in English (2.1 MB) – PDF

The Needs Analysis Framework analyzes the humanitarian needs in the Central African Republic, mainly of civilians living in the northern areas affected by conflict and violence. As a consequence of poverty and under-development, and aggravated by the violent conflict and banditry, urgent needs exist in all sectors. First and foremost, the humanitarian crisis in CAR is a protection and human rights crisis, with 305,000 people being forced to flee their homes. But many people also have no access to hospitals, health centres, schools, and markets, they have no drinking water and cannot work their fields, and many have no roof to protect them from the rains. Continue Reading »

In Birao, in northeastern CAR, women and children have been particularly affected by what they nervously call “the events”, the fights between the rebel forces of the Movement of Democratic Forces for Unity (UFDR) and the government forces.

In a previous post, we published letters from women who were victims of violence and recalled their personal and family experience. This time, Children are talking about the attacks. Under the supervision of social workers, they told their stories and drew the scenes they witnessed.

I ran from Birao to Roukoutou. We crossed a river and once there, there was nothing to eat. We suffered a lot. So we learned to fish and hunt. We stayed there for 45 days before we came back to Birao. Continue Reading »

Often ignored, sometimes treated with discretion, sexual violence remains a sensitive issue in the Central African Republic. Although thousands of women have been victims of physical, psychological, and social trauma, their suffering remains largely silent.

Some women were raped by soldiers from neighbouring armies; others were attacked by rebels or national soldiers in conflict areas. Many are everyday victims of a society disrupted by years of conflict. Adding to their personal and physical burdens, CAR’s victims of sexual violence are often denied justice and face rejection from their community. Continue Reading »

In Birao, in northeastern CAR, women and children have been particularly affected by what they nervously call “the events”, the fights between the rebel forces of the Movement of Democratic Forces for Unity (UFDR) and the government forces.
In their own words, the women of Birao talk about the attacks on their villages, their escape, their pain and their memories.

First woman

“During the battle, I was giving birth. I took my daughter on my back and walked until Am Dafock… I reached Am Dafock at night. In the morning I had given birth… a baby boy. My husband went the other way. Me, I took the children of my dead brother. Three boys. Their mother went back to her parent’s.” Continue Reading »

Several thousands of women and young girls have endured rape and other sexual violence in the conflict-torn north of the Central African Republic (CAR). Research suggests that sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) strikes well over 15 percent of women and girls in the region.

Rape cases are being reported in northern CAR on a weekly basis. The most recent reports mention two twelve-year old girls, who were raped while searching for firewood in the bush near their shelter. A local newspaper also described the ordeal of a thirteen-year old girl assaulted earlier this month on her way to sell palm oil at a market. Health workers in the western province of Nana-Mambéré have expressed shock at the increasing number of rapes of women and girls. Continue Reading »