Central African Republic: 14 people killed in Bambari

The NGO Amnesty International is alerting the public to the killing of 14 people at a religious site in Bambari, in the north of the Central African Republic, on 16 February.

Fourteen people, including a woman and a child, were killed at a religious site in Bambari, a town 389km north of Bangui, Central African Republic. « Testimonies, satellite images and analysis of photographs confirm the deaths of 14 people at a religious site in Bambari, » said a report published by Amnesty International on Thursday, February 25.

In this document, the NGO states that the 14 people killed were civilians. It says that the victims of this massacre « were not wearing military garb ». Faced with this act, Amnesty calls on « the authorities to protect civilians and conduct independent judicial investigations into abuses and human rights violations perpetrated by members of armed groups and security forces.

Since December, the Central African Republic has been facing clashes between the loyal army and rebel groups. A situation that has led to the displacement of more than 84,000 people, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). According to Amnesty International, « several civilians were killed and others wounded » during this period.

Earlier this month, the United Nations Secretary General expressed concern following the rise in violence in this Central African country. Antonio Guterres, in a statement signed by his spokesman, Stephan Dujarric, had « urged the Central African authorities to engage in a genuine inclusive political dialogue with the political opposition and armed groups that have renounced violence in the tensions and revitalize the peace process.

As a reminder, last January, Mankeur Ndiaye, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in the Central African Republic had warned of a security risk following the upsurge in violence after the 27 December 2020 elections.