17 June 2009
(Page 2 of 2)
The group clashed with the army in March 2009 and again, in N'dele, in mid-June.
Massi was arrested in Chad in early June 2009 as he tried to cross into CAR. He is to face trial for "attempting to destabilize a neighbouring country".
The connection between political leaders (abroad or in Bangui) and their combatants on the ground is minimal, and their numbers are largely unknown.
Le Mouvement des libérateurs centrafricains pour la justice (MLCJ)
Led by Abakor Sabone, the Movement of Central African Liberators for Justice broke away from the UFDR in August 2008. It signed the comprehensive peace accord in December 2008 but in February 2009 announced, together with the FDPC, that it was taking up arms again. Sabone accused Bozize of acting in bad faith and complained that his men had been left out of the DDR process.
Lord's Resistance Army (LRA)
The LRA is a Ugandan rebel movement formed in the mid-1980s with the stated aim of overthrowing the government of President Yoweri Museveni and has a long record of brutal human rights abuses. For the past four years its main bases have been in the Garamba National Park in northeast Democratic Republic of Congo and the first reports of its presence in CAR emerged in early 2008 when it mounted incursions into the extreme southeast of the country, presumably to stock up on food and other supplies, as well as forcibly recruiting civilians.
Its forces in DRC were scattered during Operation Lightning Thunder, carried out by Uganda, DRC and Southern Sudan.
Bandits
Known variously as coupeurs de routes (highwaymen), Zaraguina, or simply bandits, these are mostly well-organised and well-armed criminal gangs that kill, kidnap for ransom, loot and set fire to homes. In the absence of effective national security forces, they do so with impunity. Peulh cattle-raisers are the main targets, because of the value of their herds.
Their attacks have prompted tens of thousands of people to flee their villages for a precarious life in the bush; hindered access to fields and markets; reduced imports along key trade routes, especially from Cameroon, and delayed the return of CAR refugees from Chad. They are not accounted for in any peace accord.
Poachers
Heavily armed Sudanese poachers operate in CAR. It is estimated that in 2007 alone they were responsible for killing 2,000 elephants in the east. While they rarely target civilians, they are a symptom of the lack of general security and absence of the rule of law.
International forces
UN Mission in CAR and Chad (MINURCAT)
MINURCAT is a UN force whose role is training police and improving judicial infrastructure. It comprises 350 police and military personnel and has taken over the operations of EUFOR, a European Union force authorised by the UN Security Council to operate in both eastern Chad and northeastern CAR, where it has a mandate to protect civilians, facilitate humanitarian assistance and protect UN personnel.
Mission de consolidation de la paix en Centrafrique - MICOPAX
The Central African Peace Consolidation Mission is a multinational force mandated to contribute to durable peace and security in CAR and to facilitate political dialogue.
It consists of 500 soldiers and civilians from the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Chad and Cameroon. It operates under the aegis of the Economic Community of Central African States.
[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ]
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 UN Integrated Regional Information Networks. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
