Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license.
Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat.
We can research this topic together.
{{merge to|Central African Republic Civil War (2012–2014)|date=July 2018|discuss=Talk:Central African Republic Civil War (2012–2014)#Merge proposal}}
] succeeds interim head, ] to become President following the ].]]
The '''Central African Republic conflict''' is an ongoing civil war in the ] (CAR) involving the government and the local rebels. It started in 2012 as the ].
By 2015, there was little government control outside of the capital, Bangui.<ref name=fp1015>{{cite web|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/10/28/one-day-we-will-start-a-big-war-central-african-republic-un-violence/|title=One day we will start a big war|publisher=Foreign Policy|accessdate=13 February 2017}}</ref> The dissolution of Seleka led to ex-Seleka fighters forming new militia that often fight each other.<ref name=fp1015/> The rebel leader Noureddine Adam declared the autonomous ] on 14 December 2015.<ref name="reuters.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-centralafrica-politics-idUSKBN0TY1F620151215|title=Central African rebel leader declares autonomous republic|publisher=|accessdate=16 December 2015}}</ref> Peacekeeping largely transitioned from the ] led ] to the ] led ] to the ] led ] while the French peacekeeping mission was known as ].
Since 2014, there has been little government control outside of the capital, Bangui.<ref name=fp1015/> Armed entrepreneurs have carved out personal fiefdoms in which they set up checkpoints, collect illegal taxes, and take in millions of dollars from the illicit coffee, mineral, and timber trades.<ref name=fp1015/> By 2017, more than 14 armed groups vied for territory, notably four factions formed by ex-Séléka leaders who control about 60% of the country's territory.<ref name=ep0217>{{cite web|url=http://www.enoughproject.org/reports/dangerous-divisions-central-african-republic-faces-threat-secession|title=Dangerous Divisions: The Central African Republic faces the threat of secession|publisher=Enough Project|date=15 February 2017|accessdate=1 March 2017}}</ref> With the de facto partition of the country between ex-Séléka militias in the north and east and Antibalaka militias in the south and west, hostilities between both sides decreased<ref name=irin0217>{{cite web|url=https://www.irinnews.org/analysis/2017/02/24/central-african-republic-what's-gone-wrong|title=Central African Republic: What's gone wrong?|publisher=IRIN|date=24 February 2017|accessdate=26 February 2017}}</ref> but sporadic fighting continued.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/car-violence-rises-shot-children-husband-180211091014962.html|title=CAR violence rises: 'They shot my children and husband'|publisher=Al Jazeera|date=12 February 2018|accessdate=15 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msf.org/en/article/car-four-things-know-about-conflict-central-african-republic|title=CAR: Four things to know about the conflict in the Central African Republic|publisher=MSF|date=10 April 2018|accessdate=15 April 2018}}</ref> In February 2016, after a peaceful ], the former Prime Minister ] was elected president. In October 2016, France announced that it was ending its peacekeeping mission in the country, ] and largely withdrew its troops, saying that the operation was a success.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2016/11/01/french-peacekeepers-pull-out-as-new-violence-erupts-in-the-central-african-republic/|title=French Peacekeepers Pull Out as New Violence Erupts in the Central African Republic|publisher=foreign policy magazine|accessdate=3 November 2016|date=1 November 2016}}</ref>
Tensions erupted in competition between Ex-Seleka militias arising over control of a goldmine in November 2016, where MPC<ref name=lacroix/> and the FPRC coalition which incorporated elements of their former enemy, the Anti-balaka,<ref name=irin0517>{{cite news|last=Kleinfeld|first=Philip|title=Rebel schism drives alarming upsurge of violence in Central African Republic|url=http://www.irinnews.org/feature/2017/05/18/rebel-schism-drives-alarming-upsurge-violence-central-african-republic|newspaper=Irin news|date=18 May 2017|accessdate= 18 May 2017}}</ref> attacked UPC.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/02/16/central-african-republic-executions-rebel-group|title=Central African Republic: Executions by rebel group|publisher=Human Rights Watch|accessdate=17 February 2017}}</ref><ref name=newsweek0217/> The violence is often ethnic in nature with the FPRC associated with the ] and ] people and the UPC associated with the ].<ref name=irin0217/> Most of the fighting was in the centrally located ] prefecture, which has the country's second largest city ], because of its strategic location between the Muslim and Christian regions of the country and its wealth.<ref name=lacroix>{{cite web|url=https://international.la-croix.com/news/the-battle-of-ouaka-in-central-african-republic/4756|title=The battle of Ouaka in Central African Republic|publisher=LaCroix International|date=27 February 2017|accessdate=27 February 2017}}</ref> The fight for Bambari in early 2017 displaced 20,000.<ref name=reuters0217>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-centralafrica-violence-idUSKBN15R0WC|title=U.N. air strikes in Central African Republic kill several: militia|publisher=Reuters|accessdate=14 February 2017}}</ref><ref name=newsweek0217/> MINUSCA made a robust deployment to prevent FPRC taking the city and in February 2017, ], the chief of staff<ref name=bbc0714>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=29 July 2014 |title=CAR crisis: Meeting the rebel army chief |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28526362 |newspaper=BBC News |location= |publisher= |accessdate= }}</ref> of FPRC who previously led the military wing of Seleka, was killed by MINUSCA after crossing one of the red lines.<ref name=newsweek0217>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsweek.com/central-african-republic-war-fprc-car-556068|title=U.N. 'KILLS REBEL COMMANDER' IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC AIRSTRIKES|publisher=|accessdate=14 February 2017}}</ref> At the same time, MINUSCA negotiated the removal of Darassa from the city. This led to UPC to find new territory, spreading the fighting from urban to rural areas previously spared. Additionally, the thinly spread MINUSCA relied on Ugandan as well as American special forces to keep the peace in the southeast as they were part of a campaign to eliminate the ] but the mission ended in April 2017.<ref name=irin0517/> By the latter half of 2017, the fighting largely shifted to the Southeast where the UPC reorganized and were pursued by the FPRC and antibalaka with the level of violence only matched by the early stage of the war.<ref name=irin1117>{{cite news|url=http://www.irinnews.org/feature/2017/10/30/people-are-dying-every-day-car-refugees-fleeing-war-suffer-congo|title=CAR refugees fleeing war suffer in Congo|publisher=Irin News|date= 30 October 2017|accessdate=26 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/05/red-cross-115-bodies-car-bangassou-170517114611855.html|title=Red Cross: 115 bodies found in CAR's Bangassou|publisher=Aljazeera|date= 17 May 2017|accessdate=18 May 2017}}</ref> About 15,000 people fled from their homes in an attack in May and six U.N. peacekeepers were killed - the deadliest month for the mission yet.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/red-cross-finds-115-dead-central-african-republic-47460509|title=Red Cross finds 115 dead in Central African Republic town|publisher=ABC|date= 17 May 2017|accessdate=18 May 2017}}</ref> In June 2017, another ceasefire was signed in Rome by the government and 14 armed groups including FPRC but the next day fighting between an FPRC faction and antibalaka militias killed more than 100 people.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-24/bodies-strewn-across-town-after-central-african-republic-clashes|title=Bodies Strewn Across Town After Central African Republic Clashes|publisher=Bloomberg|date=24 June 2017|accessdate=8 July 2017}}</ref> In October 2017, another ceasefire was signed between the UPC, the FPRC, and anti-balaka groups and FPRC announced Ali Darassa as coalition vice-president but fighting continued afterward.<ref name=irin1117/> By July 2018, FPRC, now headed by Abdoulaye Hissène and based in the northeastern town of Ndélé, had troops threatening to move onto Bangui.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.france24.com/en/20180713-reporters-plus-central-african-republic-way-warlords|title=Central African Republic: The way of the warlord|publisher=France 24|date=13 July 2018|accessdate=30 July 2018}}</ref>
In Western CAR, another rebel group, with no known links to Seleka or Antibalaka, called "Return, Reclamation, Rehabilitation" (3R) formed in 2015 reportedly by self-proclaimed<ref name=hrw1216>{{cite news|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/12/20/central-african-republic-mayhem-new-group|title=Central African Republic: Mayhem by New Group|publisher=Human Rights Watch|date=20 December 2016|accessdate=28 February 2017}}</ref> general Sidiki Abass, claiming to be protecting Muslim ] from an Antibalaka militia led by Abbas Rafal.<ref name=hrw1216/><ref name=aljazeera1216>{{cite news|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/newly-formed-3r-rebel-group-inflicts-horrors-car-161223035217671.html|title=Newly formed 3R rebel group inflicts horrors in CAR: UN|publisher=Al jazeera|date=23 December 2016|accessdate=28 February 2017}}</ref> They are accused of displacing 17,000 people in November 2016 and at least 30,000 people in the ] prefecture in December 2016.<ref name=aljazeera1216/> In Northwestern CAR around ], fighting since December 2017 between Revolution and Justice (RJ) and Movement for the Liberation of the Central African Republic People (MNLC) displaced around 60,000 people. MNLC, founded in October 2017,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.demorgen.be/buitenland/honderden-mensen-op-de-vlucht-voor-geweld-in-centraal-afrikaanse-republiek-bfce6eec/|title=Honderden mensen op de vlucht voor geweld in Centraal-Afrikaanse Republiek|publisher=DeMorgan|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=18 January 2018}}</ref> was led by Ahamat Bahar, a former member and co-founder of FPRC and MRC, and is allegedly backed by Fulani fighters from Chad. The Christian<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.voanews.com/a/central-african-republic-new-national-army/3651217.html|title=CAR Gets First Building Block in New National Army|publisher=Voice of America|date=26 December 2016|accessdate=18 January 2018}}</ref> militant group RJ was formed in 2013, mostly by members of the presidential guard of former President Ange Felix Patassé, and were composed mainly of ethnic ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.irinnews.org/report/100623/armed-groups-car|title=Armed groups in CAR|publisher=Irinnews|date=17 September 2014|accessdate=18 January 2018}}</ref> While both groups had previously divided the territory in the Northwest, tensions erupted after the killing of RJ leader, Clément Bélanga,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2018/01/09/centrafrique-au-moins-25-000-nouveaux-deplaces-dans-le-nord-ouest_5239303_3212.html|title=
Centrafrique : au moins 25 000 nouveaux déplacés dans le nord-ouest
|publisher=Le Monde|date=9 January 2018|accessdate=18 January 2018}}</ref> in November 2017.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/africa/2018-01-17-in-central-african-republic-militia-violence-leaves-villages-devastated/|title=In Central African Republic, militia violence leaves villages devastated|publisher=AFP|date=17 January 2018|accessdate=18 January 2018}}</ref>
=== Violence against aid workers and reporters ===
In 2015, humanitarian aid workers in the CAR were involved in more than 365 security incidents, more than Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia. By 2017, more than two thirds of all health facilities have been damaged or destroyed.<ref name=reliefweb0317>{{cite web|url=http://reliefweb.int/report/central-african-republic/central-african-republic-clashes-could-trigger-humanitarian|title=Central African Republic clashes could trigger humanitarian 'catastrophe' - agencies|publisher=Relief Web|date=3 March 2017|accessdate=4 March 2017}}</ref> The crimes are often committed by individuals not associated with any armed rebel groups.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.voanews.com/a/car-becomes-most-dangerous-spot-for-aid-workers/3687731.html|title=CAR becomes most dangerous spot for aid workers|publisher=VOA|date=23 January 2017|accessdate=27 February 2017}}</ref> There have been jail breaks with more than 500 inmates escaping from Nagaragba Central Prison, including fighters of both Christian and Muslim militias.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/29/world/africa/central-african-republic-hundreds-escape-prison-amid-days-of-unrest.html?_r=0|title=Central African Republic: Hundreds Escape Prison Amid Days of Unrest|publisher=The New York Times|accessdate=30 September 2015|date=28 September 2015}}</ref> By 2017, only eight of 35 prisons function and few courts operate outside the capital.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.voanews.com/a/central-african-republic-justice/3671804.html|title=In Central African Republic, "impunity on staggering scale"|publisher=VOA|date=11 January 2017|accessdate=27 February 2017}}</ref>
In late July, 2018, three Russian filmmakers, who were documenting the role of mercenaries backed by the ] in the conflict, were shot and killed. The reporters were financed by ], an exiled Russian oil tycoon and vocal critic of ]'s government.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russian-filmmakers-killed-in-africa-were-investigating-mercenaries-close-to-the-kremlin/2018/08/01/8dac1c8c-9589-11e8-818b-e9b7348cd87d_story.html?utm_term=.c6fe45c95e14| title=Russian filmmakers killed in Africa were investigating mercenaries close to the Kremlin|publisher=The Washington Post|date=1 August 2018|accessdate=1 August 2018}}</ref>
== Casualties ==
===Mortality===
:September 2015, at least 42 people were reported killed.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/27/central-african-republic-violent-sectarian-clashes-erupt-in-bangui|title=Central African Republic: violent sectarian clashes erupt in Bangui|publisher=theguardian.com|accessdate=27 August 2015|date=26 September 2015}}</ref>
:October 2016, 25 people were reported killed in Bambari.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-37810363|title=Central African Republic: Clashes leave 25 dead - UN|publisher=bbcnews.com|accessdate=29 October 2016|date=29 October 2016}}</ref>
By 2015, there was little government control outside of the capital, Bangui. The dissolution of Seleka led to ex-Seleka fighters forming new militia that often fight each other. The rebel leader Noureddine Adam declared the autonomous Republic of Logone on 14 December 2015. Peacekeeping largely transitioned from the ECCAS led MICOPAX to the AU led MISCA to the UN led MINUSCA while the French peacekeeping mission was known as Operation Sangaris.
Since 2014, there has been little government control outside of the capital, Bangui. Armed entrepreneurs have carved out personal fiefdoms in which they set up checkpoints, collect illegal taxes, and take in millions of dollars from the illicit coffee, mineral, and timber trades. By 2017, more than 14 armed groups vied for territory, notably four factions formed by ex-Séléka leaders who control about 60% of the country's territory. With the de facto partition of the country between ex-Séléka militias in the north and east and Antibalaka militias in the south and west, hostilities between both sides decreased but sporadic fighting continued. In February 2016, after a peaceful election, the former Prime Minister Faustin-Archange Touadéra was elected president. In October 2016, France announced that it was ending its peacekeeping mission in the country, Operation Sangaris and largely withdrew its troops, saying that the operation was a success.
Tensions erupted in competition between Ex-Seleka militias arising over control of a goldmine in November 2016, where MPC and the FPRC coalition which incorporated elements of their former enemy, the Anti-balaka, attacked UPC. The violence is often ethnic in nature with the FPRC associated with the Gula and Runga people and the UPC associated with the Fulani. Most of the fighting was in the centrally located Ouaka prefecture, which has the country's second largest city Bambari, because of its strategic location between the Muslim and Christian regions of the country and its wealth. The fight for Bambari in early 2017 displaced 20,000. MINUSCA made a robust deployment to prevent FPRC taking the city and in February 2017, Joseph Zoundeiko, the chief of staff of FPRC who previously led the military wing of Seleka, was killed by MINUSCA after crossing one of the red lines. At the same time, MINUSCA negotiated the removal of Darassa from the city. This led to UPC to find new territory, spreading the fighting from urban to rural areas previously spared. Additionally, the thinly spread MINUSCA relied on Ugandan as well as American special forces to keep the peace in the southeast as they were part of a campaign to eliminate the Lord's Resistance Army but the mission ended in April 2017. By the latter half of 2017, the fighting largely shifted to the Southeast where the UPC reorganized and were pursued by the FPRC and antibalaka with the level of violence only matched by the early stage of the war. About 15,000 people fled from their homes in an attack in May and six U.N. peacekeepers were killed - the deadliest month for the mission yet. In June 2017, another ceasefire was signed in Rome by the government and 14 armed groups including FPRC but the next day fighting between an FPRC faction and antibalaka militias killed more than 100 people. In October 2017, another ceasefire was signed between the UPC, the FPRC, and anti-balaka groups and FPRC announced Ali Darassa as coalition vice-president but fighting continued afterward. By July 2018, FPRC, now headed by Abdoulaye Hissène and based in the northeastern town of Ndélé, had troops threatening to move onto Bangui.
In Western CAR, another rebel group, with no known links to Seleka or Antibalaka, called "Return, Reclamation, Rehabilitation" (3R) formed in 2015 reportedly by self-proclaimed general Sidiki Abass, claiming to be protecting Muslim Fulani people from an Antibalaka militia led by Abbas Rafal. They are accused of displacing 17,000 people in November 2016 and at least 30,000 people in the Ouham-Pendé prefecture in December 2016. In Northwestern CAR around Paoua, fighting since December 2017 between Revolution and Justice (RJ) and Movement for the Liberation of the Central African Republic People (MNLC) displaced around 60,000 people. MNLC, founded in October 2017, was led by Ahamat Bahar, a former member and co-founder of FPRC and MRC, and is allegedly backed by Fulani fighters from Chad. The Christian militant group RJ was formed in 2013, mostly by members of the presidential guard of former President Ange Felix Patassé, and were composed mainly of ethnic Sara-Kaba. While both groups had previously divided the territory in the Northwest, tensions erupted after the killing of RJ leader, Clément Bélanga, in November 2017.
Violence against aid workers and reporters
In 2015, humanitarian aid workers in the CAR were involved in more than 365 security incidents, more than Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia. By 2017, more than two thirds of all health facilities have been damaged or destroyed. The crimes are often committed by individuals not associated with any armed rebel groups. There have been jail breaks with more than 500 inmates escaping from Nagaragba Central Prison, including fighters of both Christian and Muslim militias. By 2017, only eight of 35 prisons function and few courts operate outside the capital.
In late July, 2018, three Russian filmmakers, who were documenting the role of mercenaries backed by the Russian Federation in the conflict, were shot and killed. The reporters were financed by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, an exiled Russian oil tycoon and vocal critic of Vladimir Putin's government.
Casualties
Mortality
September 2015, at least 42 people were reported killed.
October 2016, 25 people were reported killed in Bambari.
