Items About Areas That Could Break Out Into
War
March 18, 2007: The UN says
that at least 50,000 Central African Republic ( CAR) citizens are now in
refugee camps in Chad. Another 150,000 to 170,000 had been forced to leave
their homes in the CAR's northern region. This "low-grade" war began in late
2005, but began to get worse in late 2006. The refugees report they are
harassed and robbed by bandit groups called "zaraginas." Reports from the CAR
also use the French term "coupeurs du route," or "road cutters," meaning bandit
ambushers or highwaymen. There is also occasional trouble from CAR government
security forces, who are lsupposed to be looking for the bandits. A common
tactic is to kidnap a family member and then wait until the family can pay a
ransom. The bandits prefer cash but will take cattle (and cattle are a gauge of
wealth in the region). Such anarchy and banditry is the bane of every
sub-Saharan African country. The CAR's government controls the capital and some
of the areas in the south. The northern region is controlled, or, rather,
terrorized, by several groups that are anti-government. The gangs (sometimes
calling themselves rebels) can carve out safe areas by terrorizing local
villages. French military advisers want to improve the CAR military's mobility
by adding light armored vehicles and more light four-wheel drive vehicles.
However, most roads in the CAR are few and poorly maintained. CAR troops are
poorly trained, led and disciplined. The prospects for peace in CAR are dim,
and none of the rebel groups seems capable to taking over, or bringing peace.
