Central African Republic: Rebel attacks cause displacement shortly after UN troops withdraw
| Publisher | Norwegian Refugee Council/Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (NRC/IDMC) |
| Publication Date | 10 December 2010 |
| Cite as | Norwegian Refugee Council/Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (NRC/IDMC), Central African Republic: Rebel attacks cause displacement shortly after UN troops withdraw, 10 December 2010, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4d05ce172.html [accessed 7 June 2023] |
| Comments | IDP News Alert, 10 December 2010 |
| 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. |
Less than two weeks after the departure of the UN's MINURCAT forces from the Central African Republic (CAR), an armed opposition group attacked the town of Birao in the north-east of the country. The UN Secretary-General has expressed concern by the limited capacity of national defence forces to fend off potential attacks now that MINURCAT has departed. Chadian troops with tanks crossed the border and took control of Birao in pursuit of their own rebel forces who were said by the Central African authorities to be among the rebel group that attacked the town.
Meanwhile, the head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in CAR said that humanitarian access to Birao remains difficult. Food security is a problem due to the looting of food stocks and insecurity affecting people's access to fields. The attacks forced the whole population of about 8,000 to flee to the bush for a week where they had no access to drinking water or protection from mosquitoes, increasing their risk of malaria.
The UN has called on the international community to assist the Central African government in building the capacity of its national defence forces. Presidential elections in CAR are scheduled for 23 January 2011. The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to CAR said that elections will be a crucial step towards restoring stability to the country through a democratic process, but warned that the government cannot address the problem of insecurity and attacks by armed groups without adequate means and resources.
See also: IDMC CAR country page
