Clashes in Central African Republic kill 37

Clashes between rebel groups in Central African Republic have killed at least 37 people and displaced many others in the country’s central region, the local Red Cross said on Thursday. The latest clashes follow increased attacks on international aid workers amid a conflict that has left nearly half the country’s population in need of aid.

The predominantly Muslim Seleka militant group clashed with Christian anti-Balaka troops in the town of Alindao earlier this week. Severin Ngoumango, a priest in the region, said the Catholic mission has registered thousands of displaced people.

“No shots have been heard for more than 24 hours, a sign of hope for a return to calm,” Ngoumango said.

Central African Republic (CAR) fell into chaos in 2013 after the Muslim Seleka rebel group overthrew the Christian government. The Christian anti-Balaka vigilante group stepped up to fight back against Seleka, and the violence plunged the country into a civil war. Although the warring militias have religious names, faith leaders in the country have repeatedly said the conflict is political, not religious. Several other militia groups have sprung up across the country now embroiled in a sectarian crisis. In the past year, violent attacks by armed groups have been on the increase.

Anti-Balaka militants on Monday ambushed a United Nations convoy in the town of Bangassou, killing five UN peacekeepers and injuring seven others. The murdered peacekeepers were from Cambodia and Morocco. The UN peacekeeping mission said a firefight ensued following the ambush and peacekeepers killed eight rebel fighters.

The spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the attacks might constitute a war crime and called on the country’s authorities to investigate.

Earlier this month, four international aid groups temporarily suspended their work in the country’s north due to increased attacks against aid workers. The conflict has internally displaced some 425,000 people and left another 2 million in need of humanitarian assistance. Michael Yao, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator in the country, condemned the attacks, especially as about “half of the population is dependent on humanitarian aid, given the difficulty of restoring vital basic services.”

Amnesty International and other civil society organizations in Central African Republic on Thursday launched a joint campaign to demand justice for all the human rights abuses committed since the armed conflict began.

“The perpetrators of heinous crimes, including rape and killings, have roamed free for too long,” said Olivia Tchamba with Amnesty International’s Central Africa program. “They must be held to account if the authorities are to move from words to action.”