Summary:
The death of a taxi driver in the third district of Bangui on 26 September 2015, triggered fresh civil unrest and violence in several parts of Bangui leading to deaths, injuries and destruction of property and looting. The crisis then took a political twist with hostilities by armed groups who were reportedly demanding for the resignation of the Transitional Head of State, and the departure of French peacekeepers (Sangaris) and MINUSCA from the country. The violence left the city paralysed for five days, while the FACA and the international forces (Sangaris and MINUSCA) worked to contain the situation. Several vehicles belonging to the international agencies were stoned and/or damaged. Between 27-29 September 2015, 14 cases of day time and nocturnal looting of residences and offices of humanitarian organisations by unknown people were experienced in the neighbourhood of Sica 1 and Sica 2. For security reasons, most humanitarian expatriates, including the IFRC delegates sought refuge in secure assembly points at the MINUSCA guest house and/or at the Ledger Hotel. Given the escalation of the violence and threats towards the humanitarian community, evacuation for non- essential staff was carried out by UNHAS, ECHO and MINUSCA flights. More than 300 humanitarians and UN staffs were evacuated either to Yaoundé, Cameroon or Entebbe in Uganda. The IFRC safely evacuated four of its staff including two consultants, one Geneva based staff and a delegate.
The Transitional Head of state denounced an “attempted coup” and stressed the need to speed up the disarmament process. Elections previously scheduled to take place before the end 2015 seems unrealistic given the security situation. If elections do occur, violence is likely and results may be contested, which would further weaken the legitimacy of a newly elected president, and most probably spark protests. The situation remains unpredictable and precarious. Violent incidents are being reported in several of the provinces on daily basis. The matter is worsened by the fact that secondary effects of the ongoing crisis have not yet been addressed and tensions remain high. A report published by a local NGO1 provided the latest figures of the crisis:
- Deaths - 115 people
Missing - 179 people
Injuries - 431 people, (of which 301 were reported at the hospitals)
Burnt houses - 41
Abandoned houses- 329
Populations displaced to camps – 26, 758 people
Displaced populations living in host families – 17, 500 people
Access of humanitarian organisations to affected populations, particularly outside of Bangui, is severely restricted due to threats against humanitarian actors and control of the roads by armed groups (UN, OCHA).