Killings in a market in Central African Republic

Women walking in a market Women walking in a market Eva Blue on Unsplash

16 November 2021

Central African Republic forces exchanged fire with rebels who had ‘infiltrated’ a market near the town of Mann

According to Aljazeera, on 16 November a fighting between rebels and soldiers broke out in northwestern Central African Republic, despite a ceasefire in the country. Dieudonne Yougaina, prefect of Ouham-Pende, told the AFP news agency that rebels infiltrated the weekly market at around 10am near Mann, a town about 600km northwest of Bangui, Dieudonne Yougaina, prefect of Ouham-Pende.

News24 reports that at least 11 civilians have been killed and several others wounded during the clash: the exchange of fire left nine men and two women dead, as well as eight wounded. Yougaina blamed elements of the 3R (Return, Reclamation, Rehabilitation) rebels. The 3R, which is mainly composed of fighters from the Fulani ethnic group, is one of the most powerful armed groups in the country. On December 2020, they joined in the rebel coalition that sought to overthrow President Faustin-Archange Touadera and prevent his re-election. Touadera declared a unilateral ceasefire in the fight against the rebels on 15 October, in order to facilitate the opening of a national dialogue. However, on November, several opposition parties denounced a ceasefire violation by 3R members after an attack on a village in the northwest that left two soldiers and a civilian dead.

Ranked the second-least developed country in the world by the United Nations, the Central African Republic was plunged into this bloody civil war after a coup in 2013 and still it is striving for finding a long-lasting peace.

 

To read more, please visit:

https://www.news24.com/news24/africa/news/11-civilians-killed-in-car-army-firefight-with-rebels-20211116

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/16/at-least-11-killed-in-car-army-firefight-with-rebels

 

Author: Jasmina Saric

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