Press briefing notes on Central African Republic, Malaysia and Ukraine ----- DisplayNews

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Press briefing notes on Central African Republic, Malaysia and Ukraine

1) Central African Republic


Although the security situation seems to have recently improved in
some parts of the Central African Republic, we are very concerned about
the critical situation prevailing in Boda, a town located some 190 km
west of the capital.


According to a team of five human rights monitors deployed by OHCHR
at the beginning of the week, large numbers of Christian and Muslim
civilians in Boda and surrounding villages have suffered tremendously
from the recent fighting and the deterioration of their living
conditions, and tensions are running very high.


Boda is currently divided into a Muslim area and a non-Muslim area.
Some 11,000 Muslim civilians are stranded in four neighbourhoods and at
risk of further attacks by surrounding anti-Balaka elements. A buffer
zone under the control of French forces, known as Sangaris, separates
the two communities.


Representatives of the Muslim community told our team they feel
threatened and want to leave Boda as soon as possible. However they are
unable to move out, as their neighbourhoods are surrounded by hostile
areas. Anti-Balaka elements have also set up numerous checkpoints along
the only paved road in the town.


The trapped civilians’ situation is made even worse by the fact that
they cannot engage in any kind of economic activity. In addition,
anti-Balaka elements are reportedly forbidding civilians from selling
food to Muslims. Even local vendors from neighbouring villages are said
to have been threatened by anti-Balaka after Muslim civilians bought
food from them under Sangaris’ protection.


The Christian civilians, and in particular those displaced by last
month’s clashes, are also living in very difficult conditions.


In Boda, unlike in other towns visited by the team, Muslim elements
were reportedly the first to attack after ex-Seleka forces left on
January 29. Upon hearing that anti-Balaka armed elements had assaulted
Muslim communities elsewhere in the country, they attacked the
non-Muslim area of the town, burning most shops and houses in the
central Christian neighbourhood. The Muslim community in Boda is
reported to have been better armed than in other areas due to their
traditional involvement in the gold and diamond trade.


The fighting reportedly killed at least 80 people and displaced
thousands of Christian civilians and other non-Muslim civilians. As a
result of the destruction of their neighbourhoods, most of them went to
two sites for internally displaced people in Boda, or fled to the bush.
They live in very difficult conditions and told our team about cases of
children dying from malaria in the bush. They said they are now waiting
for the departure of Muslims so they can go back to their homes and
rebuild their roofs before the rainy season starts.


Anti-Balaka elements told our team that if Muslims don’t leave Boda
shortly, in particular before the beginning of the rainy season, they
would attack them.


We’ve brought our concerns about the real danger of a further
explosion of violence in Boda to the attention of the international
forces present in the country. However, they are clearly extremely
stretched. This underlines the urgency of the Secretary-General’s call
on March 3 to the international community to strengthen peacekeeping
efforts by sending 10,000 troops and 1,800 police personnel.


In response to questions: