Conflicts Erupt in Central African Republic

On January 7, 2021, several armed groups clashed in central Bouar in the Central African Republic. At the program location closest to the fighting, all SOS Children’s Villages participants and staff are safe.

 “We could only hear gun shots being fired from a distance,” says SOS Children’s Villages alternative care coordinator Anatole Ngassenemo. Safety and security plans are being implemented, which may result in the temporary evacuation of staff and alternative care beneficiaries.

Although this has yet to be confirmed, local sources and social media suggest there is a considerable amount of damage in the neighbourhoods where armed clashes took place as well as injured people and deaths although the exact numbers are still not known.

Since last night, a curfew has been imposed throughout the Central African Republic territory from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. adding another layer of tensions to an already very complex situation marked by COVID-19 restrictions.

The situation in the Central African Republic, a landlocked central African country, has been tense since 2013. Armed groups operate openly and control as much as two-thirds of CAR’s territory. Tensions have mounted of late with armed groups carrying out attacks against civilians, armed forces and UN peacekeepers to disrupt the ongoing presidential and legislative elections.

In December 2020, SOS Children’s Villages CAR decided to temporarily put its emergency program on hold .

Update Jan. 14, 2021

On Wednesday, January 13, a coalition of armed groups launched a series of attacks on the outskirts of the capital Bangui.

Only a few days ago, the army had stopped these rebel groups in Bouali, a small town located 85 km from Bangui. In the lead up to the Wednesday attacks, fear had spread and many parents decided to keep their children home from school.

“Given the tense situation, we have informed our partners that we would be putting all our operations on hold until further notice,” says SOS Children’s Villages CAR Security and Supply Coordinator Soumaila Omar. “We are following our contingency plan. We have stockpiled enough food and supplies for the families in the SOS Children’s Villages to last until the end of January and we will continue to do so should the situation worsen in the coming weeks.”

“In Bangui, we can already feel the immediate impact of these attacks through the soaring prices of food products and commodities, a consequence of armed groups trying to strangle the capital by launching hit-and-run raids on the RN1 national highway, the lifeline linking the city to Cameroon,” Mr. Omar added.  

More to the West, in Bouar, the situation is at a standstill although armed groups are still present in and around the city. A few days ago, armed clashes rocked central Bouar. “The children and caregivers are in shock but they are safe and sound and the village does not face any material damage,” says SOS Children’s Villages Alternative Care Coordinator Anatole Ngassenemo.

“Today, the situation remains highly volatile although clashes have stopped. We have stockpiled food and supply and are taking all necessary security measures as recent attacks in Bangui may embolden armed groups to resume attacks in Bouar,” Mr. Ngassenemo continued.  

Update Jan. 27, 2021

Armed clashes resumed in Bouar on January 17 forcing many families from the community to seek shelter inside the SOS Children’s Village. For a little over a week now, more than 400 people – mostly women and young children – who fled the violence are being housed and cared for in the SOS Children’s Village.

“A first food assistance was organized by the World Food Programme (WFP) on January 20 but it’s insufficient considering the needs to be covered,” says SOS Children’s Villages alternative care coordinator Anatole Ngassenemo.

“In view of the emergency, we carried out a series of rapid assessments of the needs in food, protection, sanitation, health as well as mental health support. Unfortunately, we expect these families to stay within the village for the coming weeks and we started mental health support sessions to help them and the children living in the village cope with the situation,” Mr. Ngassenemo adds.

Thanks to donors who have contributed to SOS Children’s Villages’ emergency fund, staff in Bouar have been able to secure food and essential supplies to meet the needs of the displaced families in the coming days, but more will be needed.

Since armed groups cut off the landlocked country’s main supply route from Cameroon to blockade the capital, Bangui, where the government declared a state of emergency last Thursday, food prices have risen steeply raising fears of serious food shortages.

“Although food and supplies are limited, it is our duty to protect and make sure that the fundamental rights of these people are being respected,” says SOS Children’s Villages International Director for West, North and Central Africa Benoit Piot, echoing the need for all hands on deck in this fast developing emergency.

Update Feb. 11, 2021

Since last week, more internally displaced people (IDP) have sought shelter inside SOS Children’s Village Bouar bringing the total number of people to more than 1,300, an estimated 235 households, mostly women and children.

In and around the city of Bouar, there are between 6,000 to 8,000 displaced people who have fled violence in search of shelter and aid. These past few days, thousands more IDPs were expected to arrive but new developments may suggest otherwise as on Monday, February 8, 2021, armed groups left the city of Bouar for an unknown destination.

The SOS Children’s Villages team in Bouar is continuing to support the distressed families by providing food and supplies as well as trauma counselling and by ensuring children are protected.

“Providing shelter to everyone is a big challenge. Minimal food supplies are bought locally, but many of the IDPs’ needs remain to be covered and our financial resources are very limited,” says SOS Children’s Villages alternative care coordinator Anatole Ngassenemo.

After being stranded for several days in the capital Bangui, the SOS Children’s Villages convoy of food, health and sanitary supplies finally arrived Monday in Bouar escorted by the UN Mission. While this additional support had partially relieved the pressure on the people in the SOS Children’s Village, the needs are still pressing to be able to provide the IDPs with food in the coming weeks. SOS Children’s Villages in Central African Republic (CAR) is actively engaging with UNHCR and the International Red Cross to get their support.

Update Mar. 2, 2021

The security situation has improved over the past few days in Bouar, Central African Republic. As a result, on February 20, the large majority of the internal displaced persons who had found shelter in the SOS Children’s Village returned to their homes. The families were encouraged to do so by an UNHCR  official who visited the SOS Children’s Village over the weekend. Moreover, schools (including the SOS School) should resume class very soon, allowing children to go back to a certain degree of normality.

“We are relieved families could return home. However, we will continue to closely monitor the situation as the conflict has not yet come to an end and the situation remains volatile,” say the National Director of SOS Children’s Villages Central African Republic M. Toure.

We will share more updates with you as the situation develops.

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