eople in the town of Bouar, in western Central African Republic (CAR), have been living in fear since the end of December, when the town became one of the theatres for the latest cycle of violence in the country. A coalition of armed groups and the government, supported by its international allies, are clashing.
The situation is particularly critical for the thousands of people who have fled their homes to take refuge in several religious sites and plots of land in the city, which is located nearly 150 kilometres from the border with Cameroon.
“I don't know where to go because the rebels have set up their base in my neighbourhood,” explains Rolande, a young displaced woman. “It's very difficult to live here with my baby who is just one month old.”
“We sleep outside in the cold without a mosquito net,” she adds. “My child is sick, but I can't take him to the hospital because of the insecurity and I don't have money to pay for the treatment.”
Intense fighting in populated areas leads people to flee
Located on a major supply road to Bangui, the capital, the control of Bouar is quite strategic for the parties to the conflict. On 9 January, armed groups gathered together as the new rebel coalition, Coalition des Patriotes pour le Changement (CPC), attacked positions of the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) and the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission (MINUSCA) in the town. The clashes were intense and took place in densely-populated areas of Bouar. Violent fighting broke out again on 17 January.
Since then, more than 8,000 people, including many families and young children, have been forced to leave their homes. Nearly half of them are currently living in the city's former cathedral, the largest of the six makeshift camps for displaced people, where Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has just started emergency activities.