The Central African Republic has yet to fully emerge from a civil war fought partly along religious lines. Although the Islamist rebel group, Séléka, has been driven out of many parts of the country, attacks against Christians continue in the capital, Bangui, and in the mainly Muslim northeast. Christians have been forced to flee from their villages and are denied access to farming fields. Large groups of Christians live in extremely poor conditions in refugee camps.
CAR President names country’s first ever Muslim Prime Minister
Portrait of a Fulani woman and her children in Central African Republic. May 19, 2014World Watch Monitor The President of the Central African Republic has replaced the Christian Prime Minister with a Muslim as part of a peace deal to end deadly violence that has ravaged the country for […]
CAR archbishop hopeful, cautious about cease-fire
Dieudonné Nzapalainga, archbishop of BanguiCourtesy of Open Doors International Armed groups in the Central African Republic have reached a cease-fire deal aimed at putting an end to the violence that has engulfed the country since March 2013. The 10-part agreement was signed July 23 in Brazzaville, the capital of […]
Priest pioneers peace process amid CAR’s chaos
Despite the Central Africa Republic (CAR)’s increasing level of chaos, a glimmer of hope has been developing in its northern city Bozoum – which is peaceful and prosperous – thanks to mediation efforts. This city of about 26,000 inhabitants enjoys a relative calm which ensures the functioning of vital services […]
‘Ample evidence’ of war crimes in CAR
According to the UN, it is too early to speak of genocide or ethnic cleansing, but there is “ample evidence” that both groups in the conflict in the Central African Republic have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. CAR’s widespread religious conflict began last year when mainly Muslim Seleka […]
Tensions high in CAR after church and mosque attacked
An attack at Fatima Catholic Church in Bangui following by ex-Seleka on May 28, 2014 left numerous dead. No structural damage happened to the church in CAR.World Watch Monitor Tension is high in the Central African Republic capital, Bangui, as protesters clashed with security forces following a deadly attack […]
Grenade attack on Central African Republic church
Militant Islamists poured grenades and gunfire into a Catholic church compound in the Central African Republic capital of Bangui on Wednesday, killing an undetermined number of people, including a priest. The Associated Press said its journalists counted five bodies at local hospitals, but also cited a priest who estimated as […]
CAR Seleka rebels reorganise for ‘greater control’
The Seleka rebel group in Central African Republic (CAR) says it has reorganised itself to exercise greater control over its fighters in the north by implementing a new chain of command. The extreme Islamist Seleka rebels started capturing major towns in the CAR’s Eastern and Central regions in December 2012. […]
Easter killings in CAR
On April 8 radical Muslims set fire to the Baptist Church in Dombia, CAR. The chapel that can hold about 1,000 members was still burning the next day.World Watch Monitor For many Christians in the Central African Republic, Easter was synonymous with tragedy, adding to their already difficult circumstances. […]
Seleka releases Bossangoa Catholics
The Archbishop of Bossangoa and three priests were released within 24 hours of being kidnapped by Seleka rebels in the Northern town of the Central African Republic. “I spoke to him and he told me he is well”, said the Archbishop of Bangui, Dieudonné Nzapalainga, adding that they are now […]
UN chief calls for immediate international action to halt ‘deplorable atrocities’
The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon says that immediate action is needed to stop the killing in the Central African Republic (CAR), citing “grave and deplorable atrocities”, and “to prevent the further separation of communities that have lived together for centuries”. Its Human Rights chief said that, on a recent […]