Bishop speaks of terror in Central African Republic
April 04, 2013
The Spanish missionary bishop of Bangassou, a city of 35,000 in the southern region of the Central African Republic, spoke with the Fides news agency about the disorder and terror in the nation, whose capital was recently seized by the Séléka rebel coalition.
“A group of bandits who pass themselves off as Séléka rebels are tormenting the people of my diocese,” said Bishop Juan-José Aguirre Muñoz, who is stranded in Bangui, the nation’s capital. “From Good Friday to Easter Sunday they sowed terror among the people, looting their homes. Among other things, they stole four cars from the local Catholic mission.”
“Men of Séléka who seized power in Bangui are trying to restore order,” he added. “But even in the capital it is hard to sleep during the night due to the continuous bursts of automatic weapons that the different gangs exchange. Some progress has been made, however, from the first days of the conquest of Bangui by Séléka. We hope for an improvement of the security situation.”
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Further information:
- "The people of Bangassou are terrorized by armed bandits" denounces the local Bishop (Fides)
- Regional leaders refuse to recognize Central African Republic coup leader (Reuters)
- Central African Republic conflict (2012–present) (Wikipedia)
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