Central African Republic now

A map of Central African Republic with its towns and prefectures

While neighboring countries Cameroon have turned their attentions to the kidnapped Nigerian school children, children in the Central African Republic are still facing violence by rebel forces from both Seleka and Balaka rebels. A truce was called and semi signed between both rebel forces guaranteeing a bit of normalcy for internally displaced Central Africans and refugees in Chad and Cameroon. Nevertheless, Bangui remains under a tense calm while CAR's countryside experiences clashes between Balaka forces and civilians fleeing their advances. Operation Sanagaris is still in play. French troops who have been in Central African Republic for half a year have been confiscating, disarming and occasionally turning their backs on rebel revenge attacks against civilians. Former Seleka rebels violently clashed with French troops last Monday in Bossonga, a small town some 400 kilometers away from the capital Bangui. The town had withstood rebel forces' use of terror tactics to chase away its Muslim residents and largest amount of bloodshed between former neighbors. Hundreds of thousands Central Africans remain in refugee camps in neighboring countries or IDP camps in Bangui, Bassonga and other towns.

Reconstruction of Central African Republic by Former Prime Minister 

Peace making and an impending end to war

While the Balaka has had the upper hand in the direction of the war, the Seleka rebels are currently in the process of regrouping to regain some control away from Balaka. The war between both groups signals trouble for civilians. The International Criminal Court recently sent a team to CAR to charge groups responsible for the outbreak of violence with crimes against civilians. There has been talks of partitioning Central African Republic along South-North lines. As Sudan and Nigeria in the 1960s served as examples, partition along nationalist lines has caused more wars and confusion for resources and power than it initially was meant to end. The U.S. humanitarian watchers regard CAR as being on the brink of a potential genocide. The violence and war follows the same patterns as Bosnia and Rwanda. Turkish Red Cross has called for more aid for CAR while Turkey debates on sending troops to the country as part of a larger EU peacekeeping force. Meanwhile, a group of Seleka forces in the town of Ndele have drawn up recommendations for an eventual transitional government and arrival of international peacekeeping forces. Aside from humanitarian side, the UN is preparing for blue helmets to land in Bangui to provide security for civilians and wider country. The peacekeepers under the UN Mission MINUSCA would be responsible for disarmament and demobilization of all combatants. Central Africans are skeptical of foreign intervention after months of failed attempts by AU troops and French soldiers to bring about the end of violence or at least secure towns for the safe return of displaced people.

Chad's role in CAR

As a result of the continual cleansing of Central African Muslims force to flee across borders, Chadian leader Idris Derby has declared the Chadian borders closed until the violence ends. Armed rebel forces have also been accused by the Chadian government of crisscrossing the border to launch attacks. Chad has played a prominent role in trying to stabilize CAR and end the fratricidal violence. However, Chadian troops were accused on several occasions of committing massacres against Central Africans and supporting Seleka rebels by either ignoring their actions or refusing to aid civilians caught in rebel revenge. Troops were pulled out of CAR in April 2014.