In the Central African Republic (CAR), one of the world’s most violent countries, the year ended much as it had begun, with Catholic Church leaders condemning brutality by rival armed gangs and deploring the failure of government forces and international peacekeepers to prevent attacks on defenceless civilians.
“I have the impression a war for positions has now started – the groups with lots of men, who control the most space, will be able to demand ministries and money,” Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalainga of Bangui told France’s Le Monde earlier this month. “Mercenaries are coming and helping themselves to diamonds, gold and cattle – whatever they can pillage ... We’re now the region’s soft belly, and I fear we’ll soon become its dustbin. All its rejects are seeking shelter here before launching their attacks.”
