Central African Republic Soldiers, Russian Mercenaries, Raze IDP Camp Accommodating 8,000
The arson has re-displaced the inhabitants of the camp, with the CAR soldiers blaming their motive on rebel infiltration.
Over 8,000 displaced persons from various parts of the Central African Republic who were housed in a camp in Bambari, Ouaka district, have been rendered homeless following the destruction of their camp situated in the Breeding Park by fire.
The destruction happened on Sunday, June 6, 2021 by soldiers of the Central African Republic, FACA and their Russian mercenary allies of Wagner Security Group.
The arson came 24 hours after an ultimatum was given to the displaced persons to quit the camp following an attack on the Bambari mosque blamed on FACA soldiers and the subsequent retaliatory attack by combatants of the Unite pour la paix en Centrafrique (UPC) rebels on a FACA control post on Saturday June 5, 2021 night.
Two civilians and one FACA soldier were killed in the Saturday night attack.
The FACA forces and their Russian allies say they had to raze down the camp because it had been infiltrated by UPC and CPC rebels and accuse some displaced persons in the camp of being accomplices to the rebels.
“The Breeding Park camp for displaced persons which was housing about 8,000 persons has been reduced to ashes and all the belongings of the displaced persons destroyed,” a civil society source told HumAngle in Bambari Monday morning.
“About 2,000 of the displaced persons have now taken refuge in the yard of the Bambari Central Mosque while others have moved elsewhere.”
According to Russian mercenary sources, the re-displacement was intended to permit the security forces to install a safety cordon around the zone.
However, humanitarian sources in the zone described the act by the Russian mercenaries and FACA soldiers as a crime which would only bring about social and humanitarian insecurity of the persons so re-displaced.
A delegate of the moslem community in the Breeding Park who gave his name as Amadou told HumAngle that the 8,000 displaced persons who were housed in the camp came from all districts in the Central African Republic including the capital Bangui.
“We had to come and stay in the yard of the mosque because we had nowhere else to go. We are about 2,000 of us here and the situation of children, women and old persons is catastrophic,”Amadou revealed.
“There are cases of malaria, severe malnutrition and even death among us.”
Support Our Journalism
There are millions of ordinary people affected by conflict in Africa whose stories are missing in the mainstream media. HumAngle is determined to tell those challenging and under-reported stories, hoping that the people impacted by these conflicts will find the safety and security they deserve.
To ensure that we continue to provide public service coverage, we have a small favour to ask you. We want you to be part of our journalistic endeavour by contributing a token to us.
Your donation will further promote a robust, free, and independent media.
Donate Here
