Central African Republic: Hundreds flee clashes between National Movement for the Liberation of the Central African Republic (MNLC) and Revolution and Justice (RJ)
Hundreds of people in north-east Central African Republic have fled their villages following fresh violence between armed groups, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Sunday.
Villagers fled gunfire and machete attacks to arrive in the small town of Paoua, where some 11 000 people have already sought refuge since fighting erupted in the region in November.
“There are clashes at almost every point all around Paoua. We have seen hundreds of people flee their villages to take refuge in Paoua” since Wednesday, said Jean Hospital, MSF’s project coordinator in the region.
“We received civilians who were directly targeted by gunfire or were attacked with machetes, while others are collateral victims of the clashes,” he added.
Rival armed groups the National Movement for the Liberation of the Central African Republic (MNLC) and Revolution and Justice (RJ) began fighting on the outskirts of Paoua on Wednesday, following renewed violence in the region since November, sources said.