Heavy fighting between rebels and the army have triggered in the northern Central African Republic, a new wave of refugees. According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR have been registered in the past few days alone, more than 1,000 Central Africans across the border in southern Chad. The parliament in the capital Bangui has just been canceled because of the unrest, the elections planned for Sunday.
The fighting between the army and rebels of the, Democratic Front of the Central African people "(FDPC) take several weeks in intensity. "The local population is driven by all parties to the conflict by rebels, government soldiers or simply bandits, "says Annette Rehrl, UNHCR spokeswoman in southern Chad. Their figures, 70 000 Central African refugees living in camps in Chad, to an estimated 330 000 displaced people are in their own country. A solution of, for years, flaring life conflict is in sight, think Edward Dalby from the International Crisis Group. "The recent violence is on the account of a splintered rebel group in which there is no discipline anymore," he explains. "The rebels have frustrated by the protracted peace process started to randomly kidnap people and torture them." The fact that the few underpaid and also of poor equipped government soldiers, the rebels can actually stop, is unlikely. Finally, even seem to be the troops of the UN mission MINURCAT helpless: At the end of November, two French workers were kidnapped by rebels, although they were escorted by MINURCAT soldiers.
The ongoing crisis in the Central African Republic, where an area of France and Belgium to live just four million people, is a humanitarian tragedy in installments. Eighteen months ago, when five rebel groups and the government of François Bozizé rebels agreed to a "national dialogue", the guns were silent for a few months. Then again fought. Meanwhile, the country is so insecure that the Parliament on Monday postponed the elections indefinitely. To secure the country enough to President François Bozizé stay in power, who has hingeputscht there 2003rd In 2005 he was re-elected, his term of office would be - an end in early June - with the Parliament-approved extension. But the land once ruled by Emperor Bokassa, has in any case never experienced a democratic transfer of power.
Who talks in the capital Bangui with government officials to strictly respect the anonymity of their wins, also the feeling that one has given up land beyond the city limits long ago. "The countryside is controlled by rebel groups and bandits, "explains Peter Wine Table, which represents the German Embassy in Bangui. Therefore, the Central African Republic, where it not only gold and diamonds, was hundreds of other valuable minerals are one of the poorest countries in the world. "The instability deters any investor." Decline and stagnation are seen on every street corner. All over the crumbling plaster, which are few roads full of potholes, collapsed on every second house is the roof. Ten years ago, the Republic had still over 500 companies, says wine table, now there are fifty. "And of those might work ten." A small Elite live from the resources that were incurred, twenty, thirty years ago. Will not renew.
Where the state leaves the country as unprotected shell make the invaders like the rags of the Ugandan soldiers, the Lord's Resistance Army "(LRA) wide. Their attacks, white Muriel Cornelis, director of the Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission in Bangui take, too. "The LRA is desperate, their rebel fighters need everything. Food, clothing, shelter" From the ground of burnt villages, raped children and victims, which the lips or ears cut off. In the villages, where the LRA strikes, there are no police. Even the escape is difficult because there are only 700 throughout the country km of asphalted roads. Sometimes, the fugitives stand for weeks in the forest and live on what they find there. "This is no crisis in the ordinary sense," admitted the Belgian Cornelis. "The expulsions are bad, but still at a comparatively low level." However, the various health care, access to drinking water and food, or even to education as disastrous as in countries where a violent civil war raging, or a natural disaster has occurred. "The reason is that in the country for 20 or 30 years no government, no order longer exists. "
Humanitarian aid is therefore difficult. In the north, where the situation is so critical, have, as in the North East charities already withdrawn. In private, some people fear what happens when the government army wins its fight against the rebels. Because in some parts of the country they still provide only for relative stability.
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