Central African Republic: Information on the general attitude of the government toward members of the Yakoma tribe
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Direction des recherches, Commission de l'immigration et du statut de réfugié, Canada |
| Publication Date | 29 January 1998 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | CAF28479.F |
| Reference | 7 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Central African Republic: Information on the general attitude of the government toward members of the Yakoma tribe, 29 January 1998, CAF28479.F, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3f7d4d6438.html [accessed 2 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
No information on the general attitude of the government toward members of the Yakoma tribe could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within time constraints.
However, a Washington Post article dated 6 October 1997 quotes the secretary general of the Central African catholic bishops' conference as stating that ethnic conflicts are not part of Central African mores, that ethnic intermixing was frequent, and that the conflict that shook the Central African Republic in 1996 and 1997 was clearly only a battle for power. The secretary general of the assembly of bishops added that the ethnic tensions began only a few years ago when then president General André Kolingba placed the Central African army under the domination of members of his tribe, the Yakoma (Washington Post 6 Oct. 1997).
An article published in the 21 November 1996 issue of La Lettre du continent states that the mutiny of the army was led [translation] "only by the Yakoma members of the Mixed Intervention Regiment (RMI)," which is essentially composed of members of the old praetorian guard of former President Kolingba. According to a dispatch from Agence France Presse (AFP), the rebel soldiers, a majority of whom were Yakoma, had been engaged in a rebellion since 15 November 1996 and were demanding the resignation of President Ange-Félix Patassé (5 Jan. 1997). Patassé was elected President of the Republic in 1993 (Le Monde 20 Aug. 1997).
An article published in December 1996 in the Africa Research Bulletin reported the killing of Christophe Grelombe, a former minister under the presidency of André Kolingba and member of the Yakoma tribe, after he and his son were kidnapped on 5 December 1996 by members of President Patassé's presidential guard (31 Dec. 1996, 12505). The article also refers to a "witch hunt" against the Yakoma in neighbourhoods that are predominantly Baya (the tribe of President Patassé) (Africa Research Bulletin 31 Dec. 1996, 12505). These disturbances occurred in early December 1996 (ibid.; Reuters 2 Dec. 1996).
According to the Washington Post article mentioned above, an African mediation process led in June 1997 by former Malian President Amadou Toumani Touré was successful in persuading the rebel soldiers to return to their barracks and the opposition parties to support the national unity government formed in the spring of 1997 under President Ange-Félix Patassé (6 Oct. 1997). However, the rebel units and the opposition are calling for the dismantlement of two police corps, which they assert are under the direct control of the President (Washington Post 6 Oct. 1997).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Africa Research Bulletin, Political, Social and Cultural Series [Oxford]. December 1996. Vol. 33, No. 12. "Central African Republic: Ex-Minister Assassinated."
Agence France Presse (AFP). 5 January 1997. "L'opération déclenchée tôt dimanche par les forces françaises..." (NEXIS)
La Lettre du continent [Paris]. 21 November 1996. "Une rébellion... au Zaïre." (NEXIS)
Le Monde [Paris]. 20 August 1997. "Quatre-vingt-quinze ans de présence." (NEXIS)
Reuters. 2 December 1996. Raphael Kopessoua. "Central Africa Mutiny Turns into Witch-Hunt." (NEXIS)
The Washington Post. 6 October 1997. James Rupert. "Africans Taking Over Peacekeeping Role on Their Continent." (NEXIS)
Additional Sources Consulted
Africa Confidential [London]. Mar. 1980-to this date. Weekly.
Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Reports. Daily.
Jeune Afrique [Paris]. Weekly.
Nouvel Afrique-Asie [Paris].
UNHCR database (REFWORLD).
Unsuccessful attempts to contact one oral source within time constraints.
