Central African Republic: Armed groups attack the city of Bangasso

Armed groups attacked the town of Bangasso in southeastern Africa on Sunday morning, two weeks after the rebels launched and during the first results of the presidential election, the head of the regional office in the city of Minusca.

“The city has been under attack since 5:25 this morning and there have been clashes everywhere,” Roswell Pierre Louis, head of the Minusca regional office in Bangasso, told AFP, adding that members of the armed forces have deployed the Central African Republic (FACA) and MINUSCA in the city.

“The clashes started at 5am and there were gunfire and explosions around the city center,” Mr confirmed.^gr Aguirre, Bishop of the city.

Since December 19, a coalition of rebel groups, which occupy two-thirds of the territory, has initially attacked with the aim of disrupting the presidential and legislative electoral body, with the first round taking place on the 27th. December.

Seleca, a coalition of predominantly Muslim armed groups, was devastated by the civil war in the Central African Republic after the overthrow of President Franకోois Boziz in 2013.

In 2017, the town of Bangasso, on the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), was destroyed by anti-Balaka militias who massacred dozens of Muslim civilians and killed several law enforcers.

“A lot of people have taken refuge in the Congo, on the other hand; people have been expecting an attack for two weeks. My kids are gone, I’m with my wife,” Ismail, a Bangasso resident, told AFP as the shots echoed over the phone.

The day before, armed groups stormed the city of Dangara in the early hours of the morning, 70 kilometers from the capital, Bangui, a favorite of the outgoing president’s stronghold and Faustin-Archange Todera pole.

“Armed groups infiltrated this morning [samedi] With shots. But the FACA intervened and the armed groups fled, “MINUSCA spokesman Vladimir Montero told AFP. “Minusca sent patrols to the scene,” he added.

Minusca was unable to provide human numbers for the attacks in Bangasso and Damara.