Intercommunal Violence Continues in the Central African Republic

In the capital city of Bangui alone, hundreds have died and nearly 200,000 people have been driven from their homes as a result of continual clashes between government forces, civilian militias, African peacekeepers, and the French military.

by Danny Gold

December 17, 2013, 1:40pm

Video and photos by Robert King

The Central African Republic, already one of the poorest nations in the world, is descending into chaos. In the capital city of Bangui alone, hundreds have died and nearly 200,000 people have been driven from their homes as a result of continual clashes between government forces, civilian militias, African peacekeepers, and the French military.

The long-troubled nation's latest round of bloodshed began last March, when mostly Muslim Séléka rebels overthrew the president of the majority Christian nation. Many of the former rebels continued roaming the country, raping, murdering, and looting. Eventually, "anti-balaka" militias—balaka means machete or sword—were formed to fight back. Today, both Muslim and Christian civilians continue to endure an endless cycle of violent reprisals.

This is the second dispatch from VICE's Danny Gold and Robert King, who have been reporting from Bangui since landing there on December 10.