Foreword
Today, the Central African Republic is a divided, bleeding country. Successive contests for power since its independence along with the repercussions of crises in neighbouring Chad and Sudan have opened the way to the emergence of two different rebel groups in CAL:
As well as rebellions in the north, there is widespread banditry (particularly in the North-East area of Vakaga) and incursions linked to the Chad rebellion and their alleged Arab allies from Sudan. In addition, exactions are committed by elements from the Central African Armed Forces for whom any man of an age to fight is frequently considered a rebel.
This insecurity causes a severe humanitarian situation and contributes to keeping the Central African Republic among the poorest countries in the world.
As well as the recurrent crises that increase the country’s poverty and the absence of development that creates a favourable environment for rebellion, there is now the additional issue of displacement owing to endemic insecurity. Together with refugees from Cameroon, Chad and Sudan, there’s an estimated 150.000 internally displaced people in the country (between 15 and 20.000 in the North-East).
