"Rampant Kidnapping"

"The world's worst humanitarian crisis" in Darfur, Western Sudan is well known, less so that the conflict is spilling over into the neighbouring Chad.

Now news is coming out of another unfolding disaster in neighbouring Central African Republic (CAR).

In CAR’s lawless Northern territories, bordering Sudan and Chad, gangs of armed bandits are kidnapping and looting from local villages with little risk of capture.

The bandits or Zaraguinas are able to operate due to the CAR army concentrating on battling APRD rebels who are angry at what they see as the present government’s corruption and its annulling of a legitimate government in 2003.

Compounding the terror, Amnesty reports that the government is killing civilians they suspect of aiding the bandits; and reminiscent of Janjaweed tactics in Darfur are burning down entire villages during reprisal attacks.

It is thought that some of the Zaraguinas are coming from Chad and Cameroon.

Hello UN, is there anyone there?

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