Kevin Clarke

ldquo The general security situation in this country is awful rdquo says Msgr Nestor-D sir Nongo-Aziagbia bishop of Bossangoa in the Central African Republic ldquo Terrible rdquo he adds shaking his head sadly nbsp Behind him across the grounds of the archbishop rsquo s residence in Ba

The truck lurches and weaves with every rut and gully on the bush trail mdash and there are many of them mdash in slow but steady progress through to the outlying villages around Bossangoa The day before two large lorries broke down repeatedly during the same exercise through these small villages

Coming from such a large and imposing figure the soft voice of the general is a surprise One has to lean in and listen closely to hear Mohamed-Moussa Dhaffane speak sharing the high drama of the moment in something close to a whisper Acting President of the Seleka in the Central African Republic

Mohamed Bomassa was saved today by his baseball cap ldquo Pour la Paix rdquo it reads he holds it up for a photo ldquo This protected me rdquo he says explaining that for a Muslim youth crossing Bangui the capital city of the Central African Republic can be a fatal experience these days

In Bangui before the violence between the city rsquo s Muslim and Christian communities reached a crescendo in recent weeks life was hardly easy in the first place Unemployment and poverty are sky high in this capital of the Central African Republic a land-locked nation with a modest tourism trad

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan UNMISS nbsp issued a statement on April 21 that quot strongly condemns the targeted killings of civilians based on their ethnic origins and nationality in Bentiu quot South Sudan nbsp The statement continued quot UNMISS also strongly condemns the use