Central African Republic (CAR): Attack on key Christian in peace process

Written by Linda Digby 09 Oct 2015
Central African Republic (CAR): Attack on key Christian in peace process

The country has been in the grips of violence and political problems since the majority-Muslim Séléka group drove out President Francois Bozizé in a coup two years ago. About three-quarters of CAR is Christian. Thousands have been killed and thousands more displaced since 2013 and now extremists have attempted to murder a Christian in CAR who is heavily involved in civil war peace efforts there. The attackers looted and burned down the house of Revd Nicolas Guerekoyame-Gbangou, the chairman of CAR's Evangelical Alliance. The chairman wasn't in at the time and his family managed to escape before they were attacked. The armed gunmen murdered two other people taking refuge in the house. The attack was part of ongoing sectarian violence between Christians and Muslims in the country, after the body of a Muslim man was found in Bangui earlier this year. 100+ people have died in the fighting and around 30,000 are currently displaced as the result of current and previous political and religious fighting.

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