December 4, 2013
400,000 people displaced, many hiding in the jungle with no access to medicines, food or clean water.
Executions, including hangings, beheadings and throat slitting, common for any misdemeanors as perceived by Seleka.
The summary recruitment/press-ganging of children as child soldiers, high incidents of rape used as punishment or weapon and some of the highest levels of human trafficking in all of Sub Saharan Africa.
Jislain Ngangaguende was among five men accused of plotting against the Seleka who were tied up, beaten with guns and thrown off a bridge into a river with perils including crocodiles and hippos. “I started to drink water so I brought my head up, but a soldier saw me and tried to shoot me,” recalls the 24-year-old, multiple sticking plasters on his head. “I stayed down for minutes and when I came up they were gone. I bit on a branch and moved up the river but my hands were still tied behind my back. I thought I was dead but the power of God made me get out.”
Paradoxically, an Anti-Balaka supporter writes “Muslim Chadian and Sudanese, the countdown to begin your suffering has begun, I fear your fate, you may repatriate your parents to Chad or Cameroon, but their children’s blood will run in the streets, it is time to cleanse our country of your presence.”
Seleka are well supported from Foreign Fighters, better armed and funded. Albeit, not presently supported by AQIM, Boko Haram or Al Shabaab, recent communications do show an increase in the dialogue between the groups and certainly they are receiving verbal support and guidance.
The Christian militia are poorly equiped and in the main inexperienced fighters. However, they are no less violently committed and vastly outnumber the Seleka. They are increasingly recruiting new fighters and their rhetoric of defensive action has now moved firmly to one of revenge and extermination of all Muslims.
All this in a country with abundant, natural resources including mineral wealth (Diamonds, Plutonium etc), rich and diverse flora and fauna (lending itself extremely well to the development of Eco Tourism) and a climate suitable for sustainable agriculture.
The Central African Republic is in meltdown, has the potential to spill its violence and instability into its already unstable neighboring countries and is almost certainly (without international intervention) on the brink of genocide.
Author
Nik Wright, CEO, Archangel Investigation and Intelligence Services