Central African Republic: Thousands displaced by post-election violence

The armed conflict in the Central African Republic is heating up after the elections. Rebels took control of the city of Bangassou over the weekend. The government accuses former President Bozize of plotting a coup.

Some 32,000 residents have fled the Central African Republic into adjacent countries, says the UN's refugee agency. The exodus follows opposition complaints over "numerous irregularities" in last month's election.

The government declared a 15 day state of emergency after rebels attempted to blockade the capital. The country's UN envoy has also urged for more peacekeepers to be deployed.

According to analysts, by handing over a militia leader to the International Criminal Court, CAR's president, Faustin-Archange Touadera, has sent a clear signal to the rebels that they cannot expect impunity.

Amid an uptick in rebel violence in the Central African Republic, FRANCE 24 takes you to the border with neighbouring Cameroon, where thousands of people are fleeing the insecurity. Also, with the majority of Covid-19 vaccine doses going to the wealthiest counties, South Africa is urging them not to hoard shots. We examine how "vaccine nationalism" is harming African nations. And Kenya rushes to save a species of endangered antelope. Fewer than 100 mountain bongo now live in the wild, with one wildlife conservancy leading the effort to re-populate them.

Thousands of people have been forced from their homes in the Central African Republic due to rebel forces taking over towns. The United Nations refugee agency says that at least 60,000 people have already fled to neighbouring countries, with some 5,000 of them crossing over to Cameroon. Army forces there are now patrolling the lengthy border in a bid to push back any attempts by rebels to get through. Our correspondents Tony Menga, Regina Sondo, Michel Mvondo and Simon Batoum report from eastern Cameroon, where locals are also worried about the violence across the border.

Nearly half of those fleeing crossed over into the Democratic Republic of Congo. The national army has been battling rebels since a presidential vote took place in December.

Our correspondents take you to the Central African Republic, where a territorial gain by government forces means a vital lifeline for the country with neighbouring Cameroon could soon reopen. We also take you inside the lab that discovered the South African variant of the SARS-CoV2 coronavirus. We end in DR Congo, where a local cheese has become a national staple.

A rebel insurgency interrupted the first round of voting, but officials are confident stepped-up security measures will prevent further violence.

Four people have been shot dead by paramilitary troops in the Indian state of West Bengal in what has been described as an act of "self-defense." One other person died after clashes between supporters of rival parties.

The Central African Republic's dry season is coming to an end and recent heavy rains over the capital Bangui led to power and water shortages for 10 days. But for hundreds of thousands of the city's residents, this was nothing new. The company that supplies running water to Bangui was created in 1970, when it served some 100,000 people. The city's population has since grown to 1.5 million people, very few of whom have daily access to running water. Our correspondent Clément Di Roma reports.

In this edition, hundreds of Gabonese peacekeepers are being withdrawn from CAR following the latest sex abuse allegations. Gabon says that the most recent accusation is exceptionally serious. Also, dozens of civic groups in Uganda have been suspended. Many human rights workers say it is part of a pattern of repression. And, South Africa’s largest rhino breeder is pushing to sell horns he trims legally off his animals to keep poachers at bay.