- Title: MSF confirms new attacks in Bria, CAR, Banguassou still cut off
- Date: 16th May 2017
- Summary: BANGUI, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (MAY 16, 2017) (REUTERS) MECECINS SANS FRONTIERES (DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS/MSF) CHIEF OF MISSION IN BANGUI, FREDERIC LAI MANANTSOA, WALKING TOWARDS CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (French) MECECINS SANS FRONTIERES (DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS/MSF) CHIEF OF MISSION IN BANGUI, FREDERIC LAI MANANTSOA, SAYING: "Regarding the security situation (in Banguassou), the conflict has stopped but the town is still tense. So people have started going back home. We are worried at the humanitarian level as access to humanitarian aid is very fragile still. People have no access to water or food since three days nor access to care since they stayed home since the start of the conflict." LAI MANANTSOA ON PHONE WALKING (SOUNDBITE) (French) MECECINS SANS FRONTIERES (DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS/MSF) CHIEF OF MISSION IN BANGUI, FREDERIC LAI MANANTSOA, SAYING: (ON BRIA ATTACK) "We have not yet received the latest information since 11 am but at the time I am speaking to you now we received 24 wounded."
- Embargoed: 30th May 2017 19:52
- Keywords: violence clashes hostage United Nations water food doctors Conflict
- Location: BANGUI AND BANGUASSOU, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC AND UNITED NATIONS
- City: BANGUI AND BANGUASSOU, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC AND UNITED NATIONS
- Country: Central African Republic
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA0016H3AP1J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: As many as 100 people were killed last week in militia violence in southern Central African Republic and fighting fuelled by ethnic and religious rivalries is spreading, the United Nations said on Tuesday (May 16).
The violence represents a new escalation in a conflict that began in 2013 when mainly Muslim Seleka fighters seized power and ousted then-President Francois Bozize, prompting reprisal killings from Christian anti-balaka militias.
Clashes intensified on Monday (May 15) in the town of Bria, about 300 km (180 miles) from the southerneastern border town of Bangassou during the day, forcing about 1,000 civilians to seek shelter near the U.N. base, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said.
Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres' (MSF) hospital in Bria had received 24 wounded people early on Tuesday as fighting continued, Frederic Lai Manantsoa, MSF's head of mission in the capital Bangui, said.
Casualty counts have been difficult to confirm because of the ongoing violence and remoteness of the locations. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
