Elections in the Central African Republic: end of the campaign marked by tension and violence

Rwandan peacekeepers from Minusca last May in Bangui, Central African Republic.

AFP PHOTO / PATRICK FORT

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6 min

The combined legislative-presidential election is for this Sunday, December 27 in the Central African Republic, where the situation is still volatile.

Fighting was reported yesterday, Friday, in several localities, including Dékoa.

The UN deplores the death of three Burundi peacekeepers, killed by "unidentified armed combatants".

The coalition of CPC armed groups appears determined to disrupt the elections.

Despite this, the authorities and international institutions remain firm: the Central Africans will vote on Sunday. 

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With our correspondent in Bangui,

Charlotte Cosset

It is a rather special end of the campaign in the Central African Republic.

If the outgoing president,

Faustin-Archange Touadéra

, took advantage of the time allotted to him until the end, by leading several meetings during the day of Friday, many opposition candidates stopped their campaign, believing that the security situation was not favorable. 

It is because this electoral campaign was punctuated by incidents, in particular against the candidates for the deputy in the constituencies affected by the fighting or by insecurity.

MP Béatrice Epaye, for example, was prevented from working in Markunda.

Mbaïki's deputies have been stuck in the fighting for several days.

In Bambari, even the UPC prevented candidates from campaigning.

► To read also: Central African Republic: the coalition of armed groups announces breaking the truce

A special end of the campaign also because the Constitutional Court must rule this Saturday, December 26 on the postponement or not of the poll. 

Several appeals were filed

following the withdrawal of the candidacy of Jean-Serge Bokassa.

They call for the application of article 115 of the electoral code which stipulates, in this case, that "the organization of the election is entirely resumed".

Rebel assault on Dekoa, three peacekeepers killed

On Friday, fighting broke out in Dekoa, a city in the center of the country.

The rebels try to descend there to reach the town of Sibut, then Bangui.

The UN mission claims to have repelled the armed elements, but the fighting has pushed the inhabitants to flee their homes.

As early as last Sunday, rumors of an attack by armed groups agitated the population of Dékoa, north of Sibut.

But for two days, fighting has raged between armed groups and the Central African Defense Force, supported by

Minusca

.

The UN mission deplored, on the night of December 25 to 26, the death of three Burundi peacekeepers in clashes with " 

unidentified armed combatants

 ".

After several attempts at the start of the week, the rebels stormed the town of Dekoa on Friday morning.

Stanislas Zoumbeti, a candidate for the local legislative elections, explains that the inhabitants understood that Dékoa was going to be attacked on Thursday evening: “ 

At 9 pm, we were informed that their presence had been reported around seven kilometers from the entrance to Dékoa, on the road to Kasa Bandoro.

At around 9:30 am, we began to experience the crackling of weapons of all calibers.

It was later that we understood that they were indeed attacking the city.

 "

"We no longer want the culture of violence and impunity in this country"

The various alerts of the week had already pushed the populations to take refuge in the Catholic mission of Dékoa.

But the events of Friday accelerated things.

Currently between 3,000 and 4,000 people are sheltering in the parish of Sainte-Anne, directed by Father Claude, who expresses himself: “ 

We did not expect such a situation.

We had nothing planned.

Some have made some provisions, they have brought their cassava.

At the moment, that's what they're using.

We are trying to find what to do, but we cannot find a solution.

 "

The sanitary conditions, in these times of Covid-19, worry the members of the Catholic mission.

They hope and ask for help, but in the meantime, the inhabitants of Dékoa remain under the protection of Minusca and the Central African armed forces.

The Network of NGOs for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (RONGDH), for its part, expressed its " 

indignation

 " on Friday.

For the Network coordinator, Me Marie-Edith Douzima, the Central African population is " 

held hostage

 " by the resumption of political violence.

For her and for her organization, “ 

enough is enough

 ” and “ 

violence does not solve anything

 ”.

“Do you realize that we are talking about a new coalition that brings together the same people who made our lives difficult in 2003 and 2013?

(...) We no longer want the culture of violence and impunity in the Central African Republic.

"

Me Marie-Edith Douzima, coordinator of the NGO Network for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights

Leonard Vincent

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  • Central African Republic

  • Faustin-Archange Touadéra

  • Francois Bozizé

  • Minusca

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