The sorry fact is that the perpetrators of violence and abuse, the majority of them government soldiers, have so far enjoyed total impunity for acts that include war crimes.
The new 108-page report released today, "State of Anarchy: Rebellion and Abuses Against Civilians," is based on three weeks of on-the-ground research. It documents the human rights abuses and breaches of the laws of war committed in northern CAR by both rebel groups and the government forces, and also documents attacks by banditry groups in the northwest known as zaraguinas, who often kidnap children for ransom.
“Just across the border from Darfur, the army of the Central African Republic has killed hundreds of innocent civilians and forced tens of thousands to flee their villages,”
said Peter Takirambudde, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The widespread burning of homes by government security forces is the signature abuse of the conflict.”
Central African Republic: Government Forces Kill Hundreds (Human Rights Watch)