Bishops of Central African Republic ask international help to end chaos, violence
May 12, 2014
The Catholic bishops of the Central African Republic (CAR) have compared their country’s current condition with that of an “open-pit prison,” the Fides news service reports.
The bishops of the CAR released a statement citing the violence perpetrated by several different groups: the Lord’s Resistance Army, a Ugandan-based terrorist group that has operated in the CAR for several years; the Seleka rebel movement that is seeking to regain control of the CAR; and anti-Seleka militia groups that “persecute civilians” in their campaign against the Muslim rebels.
The bishops report that over 800,000 people have been forced out of their homes by the fighting in the past 18 months, and the political and economic upheaval caused by the violence has provoked “the worst crisis in our history.” They appealed for international help to disarm the warring factions and bolster the country’s military until it can restore order.
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