Médecins Sans Frontières - 5 minutes to understand. What is happening in CAR (AR)

Unique Identifier Code / URN MSF210475

Date taken / Date Recorded 04/10/2017 12:00 AM

Country Central African Republic

Commissioning section MSF-FRANCE

Photographer / videographer / producer Benoit Finck

Copyright MSF

Usage Rights (MSF) Social Media

Formal Consent Copy available no

Editor's rating ★★★ (F)

Video format h264 (Main) (avc1 / 0x31637661)

Duration 5m37s

Maximum Size 1920px × 1080px 438.16 MB

Additional Information / Shotlist 5 minutes to understand
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

Today we’re in PK3, a displaced persons camp in Bria, in east Central African Republic. Over 23,000 people are living here.

onscreen text: CAR - CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC – BRIA – BANGUI
Some of you may remember there was a lot of talk about Central African Republic in 2013 and 2014, after a political crisis resulted in a coup that led to a conflict with extreme levels of violence. The Seleka, a coalition of mainly Muslim fighters from the north-east of the country, ousted François Bozizé’s regime in March 2013. Responding very rapidly to the atrocities committed by the Seleka, mostly Christian anti-Balaka militias retaliated with equally violent attacks on the Muslim population.
Onscreen text: SELEKA – ANTI-BALAKA

Caroline Gollé, nurse, MSF – ARCHIVE / 2014
We’re seeing a lot of exceptionally horrid wounds. People arriving with machete wounds, gunshot wounds...

Bernard LEMÉNAGER, Chirurgien, MSF – ARCHIVE / 2014 (in French)
“I’m seeing things I’ve never seen before.”

The violence has resulted in thousands of deaths, 400,000 people displaced within the country
and 300,000 in neighbouring countries.
Since then, we’ve seen international troops deployed, a peacekeeping mission, a process to disarm armed groups and the election of a new president. All this should have helped the country to get back on its feet.

Onscreen text: VOTE

SLATE: So what’s the problem?

MSF staff member in Bria (in French)
“Violence broke out again in Bria six months ago.
It’s chaos in Bria, total chaos.”

For almost a year now, sporadic violence has been turning into a conflict that’s now escalating, with widespread abuses against the population.

Onscreen text : September 2016 – October, November December January February March April May June July August - September 2017 – BRIA - MBRES- MALOUM – BRIA – NZAKO – ALINDAO – BANGASSOU – BRIA – ZEMIO – BATANGAFO – BRIA

SLATE: Why?

We’re going to meet RFI correspondent Edouard Dropsy, who’s going to give us his view on the situation and tell us how he sees the country’s future.
Charlotte: So Edouard, there are armed groups in 80% of the country and the government has totally lost control of some areas. What more can you tell us?
Edouard: Yes, Charlotte, you’re absolutely right. Most of the west of the country is still pretty much under government control, prefectures are open and there are policemen. But all of the east and north-west are held by predatory armed groups seeking control over natural resources and, to some extent, local government.
We’re seeing unlikely ad hoc alliances, for example, Seleka militia allying with the anti-Balaka against now-rival Seleka factions, again, in a bid to control land and mineral resources—it’s all very muddled. Right now, it’s the rainy season, which is usually a time of truce among the armed groups, but the massacres are continuing. And we’re seeing the Seleka trying to re-form.
What’s certain is that over the months to come, there’ll be reprisals, with fighting in the provinces.

SLATE: IN THE FIELD
In Bria, we met with people for who the conflict is part of their everyday lives. Hearing what they have to say will help us get a better grasp of the situation.

Yacinthe has brought his son for a consultation at the MSF clinic.
He fled his neighbourhood when it was attacked by the a former Seleka group and found refuge in PK3 camp on the outskirts of Bria

YACINTHE
When it started, all of us fled from our homes.
We couldn’t take anything with us.
Our only choice was to run for it. We’ve lost everything.
This is where we ended up.
Living conditions are bad here.
And we can’t get to our fields. When we go into the bush, they track us down and kill us.
We’re all stuck here, with nothing to do.
Life here is really tough.

MAP:
BRIA – PK3 CAMP – CHRISTIAN NEIGHBOURHOOD (DESTROYED) - MUSLIM NEIGHBOURHOOD (TOWN CENTRE) – FULANI NEIGHBOURHOOD

23,000 displaced people, mostly Christians like Yacinthe, are living in PK3.

Most people now living in the centre of Bria are Muslims.
Marie-Yvonne sought refuge in a Muslim neighbourhood to escape attacks by the anti-Balaka.

Marie-Yvonne
This is an ethnic conflict. If I’d stayed, I’d be dead by now.
My children’s father is Muslim.
If I’d stayed, the anti-Balaka would have killed them.
I sell firewood for 50 francs. If I manage to sell it, I can feed my kids.
Sometimes, a bowl of porridge is all we get to eat in the day.
I’m frightened.
We can hear gunshots, the children can’t eat.
How can you not be scared?

The Fulani community, Muslim too, live in the neighbourhood Gobolo.

MOUSSA –
It was 8:20 on a Monday morning. They came and attacked us. There were lots of them, all heavily armed. This went on for 7 months, from November 2016 until April or May 2017. During all that time, Muslims and the anti-Balaka ganged up on the Falani community, just because we’re Fulani, it’s the only reason.

SLATE:
Due to lack of shelter, large numbers of displaced people have had little choice but to come and live in the hospital.

Isaïe BOBINO, nurse, MSF
The security situation is still very unstable. People were forced to come and take refuge in the hospital.

SLATE:
In September, over 2,000 people, Christians and Muslims alike, were still living in the grounds of the hospital.