The Central African Republic is rich in gold, diamonds,
timber and uranium. The landlocked state has a landmass equivalent to that of
its former colonial ruler France, yet a population less than 10 percent of
France’s. Since gaining independence from France in 1960, the country has
witnessed five coup d’états, some with French covert involvement. It is
teetering on the brink of catastrophe, with millions of people cut off from
vital humanitarian aid amid a renewal of deadly sectarian clashes. In the past
week, dozens of civilians have been killed in clashes between Christian and
Muslim militias in the Central African Republic’s capital, Bangui. The latest
round of violence was sparked after a Muslim taxi driver was attacked and
decapitated by machete-wielding gangs. That in turn led to reprisals against
Christian communities. UN humanitarian aid chief Stephen O’Brien warned that
the country was on the brink of disaster with more than 40,000 people having
fled the capital in recent days. In total, some 2.7 million people – half the
country’s population – are at risk of being cut-off from the humanitarian aid
upon which they depend for survival. The worsening sectarian strife is simply
making it too dangerous for relief agencies to operate. Thousands of civilians
have been killed so far in the two-year sectarian cycle of violence, with
millions of people displaced, often seeking shelter in makeshift hideouts.
Potentially adding fuel to this crisis is the disclosure
last week that US Special Forces are liaising with one of the militia sides in
the Central African Republic (CAR). The group the US forces have struck up a
liaison with are known as the Seleka rebels, whose members are mainly Muslim. For
the past two years, the Seleka have engaged in a low-intensity war with the
rival Christian “anti-Balaka” faction in a power struggle for control of the
country. Last week, the Washington Post reported that American special forces
had set up a base in the northeast of CAR, where the Seleka militia has their
stronghold. “The Pentagon had not previously disclosed that it is cooperating
with Seleka and obtaining intelligence from the rebels. The arrangement has
made some US troops uncomfortable,” according to the Post. The stated objective
of the US military is to hunt down a notorious warlord, Joseph Kony, who runs a
guerrilla outfit known as the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Kony and his LRA
are believed to be responsible for mass atrocities and the recruitment of child
soldiers. Originally from Uganda, Kony and his LRA gained notoriety when a
US-based charity Invisible Children released a video nearly four years ago
publicizing the group’s violations. With various American celebrities endorsing
the video, US President Barack Obama sent Special Forces to four African
countries with the mission of tracking down Kony and his accomplices. Those
countries include Uganda, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the
Central African Republic. In this elusive hunt for warlord Kony and his LRA,
the US military are turning to the Seleka militia for “intelligence”. But, as
noted, that liaison with the Seleka is causing some disquiet among the US
troops on the ground. This is because the Seleka have gained a reputation for
atrocities on par with those of Kony and the LRA, including murdering
civilians, raping women and recruiting child soldiers into their ranks. The
Christian anti-Balaka has carried out as many atrocities against the minority
Muslim community in the country.
The dubious mission of US special forces in the jungles of
Africa – allegedly to catch a warlord – is having the effect of aligning
Washington in a festering civil war, and alongside elements whose hands are
dripping with blood. The scene is being set for an even bloodier escalation.
Washington’s involvement may so far appear to be a clandestine factor but it is
no less incendiary.
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