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CRISIS REPORT
OF CENTRALAFRICAN
REPUBLICIn the Name of Humanity Before too Late...
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Prepared by: Serhat Orak
IHH Africa Desk Coordinator
Published By: IHH Humanitarian and Social Researches Center
Photos: Kemal Gm (Journalist of Star Newspaper)
Contact: IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation
Byk Karaman Cad. Taylasan Sok. No: 3 Pk. 34230 Fatih/Istanbul-TURKEY
Ph: +90 212 631 21 21 | Fax: +90 212 621 70 51
www.ihh.org.tr | [email protected]
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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
BRIEF INFORMATION
THE ROLE OF THE COALITION OF SELEKA
THE EMERGENCE OF ANTI-BALAKA ORGANIZATION
FRANCES MILITARY INTERVENTION
IS THE CRISIS IN THE COUNTRY POLITICAL OR RELIGIOUS?
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA
THE CONDITION OF MUSLIMS
THE PREVENTION OF THE CRISIS BECOMES INCREASINGLY
DIFFICULT
POSSIBLE SCENARIOS
RECOMMENDATIONS
3
4
5
6
8
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
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The recent events in the Central African Republic in December 2013 were a
multifaceted crisis with political, religious, economic and human dimensions. While
the balance sheet of the crisis has been getting heavier everyday due to the conflict
in the country, the military and civilian casualties have been increasing rapidly. A
multilateral cooperation is required in order to overcome the crisis situation in
Central African Republic and to ensure the state of normalization in the country,
where more than 2 million people need humanitarian assistance, more than one
thousand abandoned their home and more than 1000 were killed. In fact, there
has been a concern, in the name of humanity, of the events in the Central African
Republic getting uncontrollable and turning into interreligious conflict.
This report is prepared after the field trip to the Central African Republic andintended to give information about the country, to lay the foundation for the
cooperation and to draw attention to the crisis towards interfaith conflict in
the country. During the trip conducted by IHHs Africa Desk Coordinator
from December 22 to 28, we have tried to elicit a real photo on what has been
happening in the country through making interviews with representatives of civil
society organizations, media representatives and government officials.
INTRODUCTION
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Besides thelocal language
Sangho, the
French languageremained one ofthe two officiallanguage of the
CAR which gainedindependence from
France in 1960
BRIEF INFORMATIONAs a landlocked country in the Middle
Africa, the Central African Republic
(CAR) is one of the poorest countries in
the region. The country has a population
of 4.5 million and borders with Sudan,
Chad, Cameroon, Congo, Democratic
Republic of Congo and South Sudan.
Besides the local language Sangho, the
French language remained one of the two
official language of the CAR which gained
independence from France in 1960. The
population constituted by 50% Christian
(Catholic and Protestant), 30% Animist,
20% Muslim in the CAR where different
ethnicities live in coexistence.
The countrys economy is based on
agriculture, despite having underground
resources like gold, diamonds and uranium.
The country in the tropical climate zone
receives heavy rain during certain periods.
The region was used to be named as
Oubangui-Chari under French Colonial,
but then named as Central Africa since its
independence. The capital city Bangui has
the highest population density. Despite the
Muslim communities live in the northern
part of the country, bordering Chad
and Sudan; a considerable proportion
of Muslim population live in Bangui, the
capital city, as well.
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The armed militias, known as the Union
of Democratic Forces for Unity, launched
fighting against the government under
the leadership of Michel Djotodia in the
immediate aftermath of the military coup ByFranois Bozize in 2003. Thus, the country
witnessed intense fighting from 2004
to 2007. A ceasefire has been declared
with the agreement of the Parties held in
Gabon, and there has been no conflict in
the country from 2007 to 2011. However,
clashes resumed in the late months of 2011
and a new political crisis in the Central
African Republic broke out.
The Seleka Coalition has played a major
role in shaping the countrys current politicalstructure. This armed coalition, which was
formed against the intense corruption and
repression of the government of Franois
Bozize who served as a president between
the years 2003-2013, consists of five different
armed movements in the northern part of
the country coming together. This armed
movement that occurred in rural areas of
the country overthrew the government
by reaching to the capital Bangui in March
2013, after took control of some cities in
2011. These groups have formed a coalition
in September 2012 under the name of
Seleka. The Seleka Coalition predominantly
composed of Muslims predominantly
has established a transitional government
through overthrowing the government of
Franois Bozize who came into power in
2003 after a military coup. Michel Dijotodia,
one of the commanders of Seleka, and a
person previously made diplomatic mission
in Sudan was brought to Presidential task,
and the call of an election within 18 monthswas requested.
Michel Dijotodia is the first Muslim president
of the country. According to the agreement,
Djotodia and the members of Seleka were
decided not to be candidate in the elections
which will determine the governance of the
country. It was agreed in the negotiations
held in Chads capital NDjamena that
Djotodia will not be called as the president of
the state, rather the president of transitional
government.1
With the inauguration ofDjotodia, a new government constituted
by Christians and Muslims came into power.
The prime ministry has been given to the
Christian Nicolas Tiangaye, the countrys
one of the prominent lawyers such as of
Bokasso and Bozize.
After the presidential oath, the President
Djotodia came into office in August 2013,
and announced the dissolution of the Seleka
Coalition in September 2013 as some of the
fighters from the Coalition which broughtthe President into power were mixed up in
ordinary crimes.2
1- http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/18/
centralafrican-chad-idUSL5N0D54S320130418
2- http://www.france24.com/en/20130913-central-
african-republic-djotodia-dissolves-seleka-rebel-group/
THE ROLE OF THE COALITION OF SELEKA
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Franois Bozize, ousted by Seleka, took
refuge firstly in Cameroon and then in Benin
after leaving the country. By bringing his
supporters together in a short time, Bozize
launched the recent violent activities in the
country by attacking against the government
with large amount of money took with him.
Anti-Balaka called gangs which are loyal to
Bozize carried out executions especially in
Muslim villages, mosques, and invaded the
homes of Seleka members. The so-called
gangs called by local people as Balaka
have brutally killed thousands of people in
a short time. The gang Anti-Balaka carried
such inhumane practices as cutting childrens
throats, emboweling pregnant women,
and feeding people to the crocodiles
alive; have been trying to overthrow the
THE EMERGENCE OF ANTI-BALAKA
ORGANIZATION
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government by fighting with its forces. After
the formal termination of Seleka Coalition
in September 2013, Anti-Balaka gangs
intensified their attacks by busting the village
Bouca and killing up to 40 Muslims during
the morning prayer time in mid-September.
The sequence of the recent incidents
that triggered the crisis in the country at
the moment, broke out at the beginning
of December 2013. While intensifying
their attacks against the Muslims from
December the 2nd, the Anti-Balaka militia
carried out executions by invading the
homes of former commanders of Seleka
on December 5. Other leaders belonging
to Seleka have managed to escape from the
night attack when four important leaders of
Seleka were killed; however, their homes
were destroyed during that night attack.
Former members of Seleka who survived
the massacre took refuge in safer places
like mosques, schools and camps. The Red
Cross Organization announced that theycollected 281 bodies from the streets
because of the violence which occurred
that night.3
3- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25273681
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FRANCES MILITARY INTERVENTIONOn the same days, by bringing the escalating
violence in the country to the agenda,
France began to increase the number oftroops in the country by issuing a decision
in United Nations Security Council. France
announced that she took on a task of
protecting the civilians by placing around
1600 soldiers in the country, adding new
ones to the existing troops in the Central
African Republic. Besides, the French
troops have been accompanied by up to
4,000 African Union soldiers.
France, which adopted a policy of
disarmament to end the violence in the
Central African Republic, began to check
people in the streets, to collect weapons
and cutting tools by entering into Muslim
neighborhoods under the name of
disarming the members of Seleka. As this
unilateral attempt at disarmament has
weakened the Muslims, it has encouraged
the Anti-Balaka gang, which located onopposite side, more. Upon the violence,
the Muslim community who believed that
France lost its neutrality has begun to
criticize France and to show their reactions
with street protests. Lastly, the Muslims
warned France of unilateral disarmament
policy and clearly declared that they would
fight against France if she does not change
that attitude.4
While Frances military presence in the
country has changed the balance between
Muslims and Christians in the country, it
has paralyzed neutralized the government
4- http://www.france24.com/en/20131224-central-
african-republic-rebels-seleka-protest-france-
intervention/
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Upon the violence, the Muslim community whobelieved that France lost its neutrality has begunto criticize France and to show their reactionswith street protests.
as well. The banks, schools and business in
the country have been closed for a long
time. Public institutions are not working. In
addition, due to the economic difficulties
the government has been unable to pay the
salaries of officers and soldiers. The military
vehicles of France and the African Union
have been running rampant on the streets
of the capital. The free move of the civilians
in the streets has been made almost more
impossible. The strategic points in the country
have been controlled by the French troops.
Military intervention initiative for the
Central African Republic was compared
with the military operations of France
in 2012 against northern Mali. However,
military intervention in the Central AfricanRepublic differs from the situation in Mali.
While the operation in Mali was a regional
intervention, there was an operation across
the country in the Central African Republic.
While Mali operation has been executed in
three northern cities with low density, the
operations in the Central African Republic
included the densely populated capital
and other cities. Despite Mali operation
was executed on the ground of war
with Islamic terrorism, and supported
by different countries, the picture in the
Central African Republic was different
and free of terrorism hazards. As the
operation in Mali was performed at the
request of Malis government, there was
not such a demand from the government
side in the Central African Republic.
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The crisis in the Central African Republic
does not have religious bases; rather it is
a political crisis that is often voiced. But it
is also clear that the events increasingly
polarize Muslims and Christians.
The countrys Muslim, Catholic and
Protestant leaders often make a call for
peace and seek to terminate the violence
as soon as possible. Although these calls
are partially effective, it is unlikely to
appease the events without stopping
anti-Balaka militia, which is the main
source of violence in the state. Political
crisis integrated with financial and
humanitarian crisis is gradually shifting to
a religious conflict.
2.2 millionpeople in need of humanitarian assistance785.000people left their home
IS THE CRISIS IN THE COUNTRY
POLITICAL OR RELIGIOUS?
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The humanitarian situation caused by
the crisis in the political arena, affects
all Muslim and Christian population of
the country. The crisis is not only in the
capital Bangui, but also spread to other
cities of the country. People fleeing
from violence have sought refuge in
safe camping areas, mosques, schools,
madrassas, and churches. As the size of
the humanitarian crisis in the Central
African Republic is expanding, those
who find opportunities have been
leaving the country; but those who could
not, have taken refuge in safer places.
According to United Nations reports,
2.2 million people, in the country with a
population of 4.5 million are in need of
humanitarian assistance. Over 785,000
people, more than 370,000 in capital
Bangui were estimated to left their
home. The number is around 100,000
for those who take refuge in campsnear the airport.
The neighboring countries such as
Chad and Cameroon began to evacuate
their citizens from the area with their
airplanes. The embassies and the
airport are filled with people waiting for
evacuation from the country.
The increases in number of people who
leave their places of residence make the
humanitarian relief efforts in the region
difficult. Identifying the actual needies,
and delivering assistance to them are
highly difficult in the growing chaos.
Even though four major hospitals in
the capital Bangui give service actively,
the hospitals cannot be adequate
for meeting the needs in such an
environment where clashes happen
every day. The treatment of the injured
has been proceeding to be made in the
tent hospitals set by NGOs. A serious
shortage of medicines in the country
has begun to emerge.
The aid agencies working in the area
can meet food needs from domestic
market; however, the necessarymedicine for the sick and wounded
must be brought from the outside of
the country. In addition; tent is needed
for the people, who leave their homes
due to violence, to be able to take
shelter.
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
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THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA
The media play an important role in putting
recent developments in Central Africa in
the picture for the world. Due to the small
number of local media organizations in the
country and their lack of infrastructure,the international media organizations play
an important role in publicizing the events.
However, especially the large organizations
of French media provided biased news
coverage from the field.
In particular, some media outlets broadcast
from the region insisted on that claims that
Muslims living in Central African Republic
are foreign elements. The message that
the Christians are the real owners ofthe country has been given by these
publications by indicating the discourse that
the Muslims are the minority immigrant
traders coming from neighboring countries
like Chad and Sudan. This approach is quite
a serious obstacle on the establishment of
peace in the country.
The existence of Islam and Muslim
inhabitants for ages is the reality of this
lands. The countrys ruling by Muslim
Sultans in precolonial period in an indicator
of this. Moreover, Christianization of the
region was carried out by the missionaries
during the colonial period. In short, the
Muslims are not the foreign elements but
the owners of the country.
Another distortion in the media isregarding a Muslim president. A country
with a Christian majority to be governed
by Muslims has been criticized openly in the
media outlets. But there is no legitimacy of
those criticisms. A mixed government is on
power in the country. The prime minister
and the majority of the ministers holding
nearly all the powers are Christians. The
countrys first Muslim president Michel
Djotodia does not have an ideological
Islamic rhetoric, and follows populist
politics.
This disinformation made by media outlets
has been sharply criticized by Michel
Djotodia time to time.
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The number of deaths in the recent
conflict in the Central African Republic
has exceeded the number of 1000. The
vast majority of those murdered peoplein the attacks are Muslims. The Muslim
communities in the country are exposed
to the clear violence of Christian Anti-
Balaka gang. Nurul-Islam Mosque that
we visited during our field work was fairly
like a corpse store. 23 dead bodies in the
mosques courtyard were stinky and eaten
by flies. The congregation of the mosque
told us that they could not bury the bodies
for security reasons. This event that does
not find a place in the Western media
summarizes the conditions of Muslims in
the country. Besides, the congregation of
the mosque reported that they could not
get a shroud for the dead, and there have
been heavy attacks and burning initiatives
against mosques.15
The Central African Republic, where
Muslim and Christian communities had
lived in peace for years, has come to
a dangerous point, which pits the tworeligions against to each other nowadays.
5- http://jafrianews.com/2013/12/22/central-
african-christians-torch-mosque-to-take-revenge-
from-muslims/
There we have a scene reminiscent of
the massacre in Rwanda. The extremist
Christian Anti-Balaka gang has declared a
war to all the Muslim elements (includingMuslim soldiers in peacekeeping) and
been implementing all kinds of inhumane
violence just as vowed to eradicate all
Muslims. The developments in the Central
African Republic followed closely by the
Western world could not find a place on
the agenda of the Islamic world. The is no
country or institution showing interest
to what has been happening in the CAR
from the Islamic world. This situation leads
the Muslims in the country to feel helpless
and alone. On the other hand, Christian
terrorist organization Anti-Balaka has
been armed and encouraged by some
circles. Thus, an appropriate ground for
the clash of two religions in the region
has been paved by a dirty game being
prepared.
THE CONDITION OF MUSLIMS
The Central African Republic, where Muslim andChristian communities had lived in peace foryears, has come to a dangerous point, which pitsthe two religions against to each other nowadays.
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The prevention of crisis, deepening and
getting new dimensions each passing
day, becomes increasingly difficult.
Multilateral cooperation is required
in the solution of multi-dimensional
crisis in the CAR. Only France and the
African Union troops finding a solution
to the issue is not possible. Consultation
among religious leaders, international
organizations and all actors, who can
play a role in such a crisis, is required toact on a common ground. Otherwise,
it seems inevitable that the onset of
a massacre in the country could not
be prevented and the killing of civilians
just because of the religion they belong,
as well as the removal of these people
from their places. The unilateral interests
should be immediately left aside; rather
the common interests should be looked
after in the name of humanity. Not only
Muslims or Christians but also the basic
human values are in stake. The prudent
messages of the top-level authorities
such as Vatican, Islamic ScholarsAssociation, the Protestant leaders and
the Presidency of Religious Affairs should
be released, and mass bloodshed in the
name of religion should be avoided.
THE PREVENTION OF THE CRISIS
BECOMES INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT
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In case of the continuation of the crisis,
the worst possible scenario is the
outbreak of a religious-based war in
the country. In this case, Christians to
Muslims and Muslims to Christians will
attack to each other and too much
blood will be shaded. In the event of the
worst scenario, the outbreak of a major
wave of immigration and the influx of
immigrants to neighboring countries
such as Chad, Congo and Cameroon are
predicted. If a similar massacre occurred
in Rwanda in 1994 take place, the strong
side will oppress the weak side and the
massacres in genocidal proportion can beperpatrated. In such an environment, the
intervention of the present actors to the
events will become impossible, since they
become completely out of control. The
mesh of the tragic events will be shaped
in its own course as well.
The crisis is not likely to be well
administered, although the possibility
is not low. For the realization of this
possibility; giving support to the existing
state structures and the launch of
initiatives to reduce the humanitarian
crisis in the country must be started as
soon as possible. International NGOs
assuming a more active role in the Central
African Republic and taking steps to
prevent the crisis promptly are necessary
to meet the basic human needs. At this
point, it is a great responsibility for the
political and religious leaders, and the
NGO representatives of Turkey and the
Islamic world.
POSSIBLE SCENARIOS
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The urgent steps to be taken for the
resolution of the crisis situation and for
the prevention of faith-based war can be
as follow:
1. It seems quite indifferent how the
world public opinion approaching the
case. Primarily, free from the dimension
of French solution, other relevant actors
and African Union should mobilize more
vigorously on this crisis.2. As one of the victims in the country
is Muslim community, Organization
of Islamic Conference (OIC) should
take initiative by being a side, and send
observer delegation to the region.
3. The Turkish government authorities
associated with humanitarian relief (TIKA,
the Directorate of Religious Affairs and
the Turkish Red Crescent etc.) should
work in the region where emergencyrelief needed.
4. The NGOs in the Islamic world should
be mobilized and while conducting relief
operations to eliminate humanitarian
victim-hood on one hand, on the other,
they should act to sustain social peace on
the level of civil initiatives.
5. All media outlets should be responsive
to the humanitarian tragedy in the
country, and take the case to their agenda
by aiming to prevent possible massacres
in order to mobilize international
community.
RECOMMENDATIONS
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