Central African Republic refugees escape to Cameroon
Cameroon has welcomed many refugees who were forced to flee from Central African Republic in order to avoid violence. Most of the refugees were received at the Gado Refugee camp.
In recent weeks, approximately 60,000 refugees have been forced migrate to neighboring countries. This migration is a reaction to violence caused by six rebel groups that have been fighting against the re-election of Faustin-Archange Touadera as president of the country.
The number of refugees has risen two-fold in just seven days, this is according to a statement made by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
Recently, security forces were engaged in intense fighting and succeeded in expelling rebels who wanted to capture the capital Bangui. The shootout happened in the outskirts of the city.
According to reports by the United Nations, at least one Rwandan peacekeeper has been killed and another injured.
The UN mission in CAR also reported that two peacekeepers were injured while at least one was killed when rebels decided to attack UN soldiers. The attack happened 200km from the capital in a city known as Grimari.
The UN has registered approximately 3,000 people who have escaped the Central African Republic into Cameroon. Most of these people seeking refuge are women below the age of 50 and they have also brought their children with them.
Many of the fleeing refugees have suffered from serious malnutrition and have endured distressing scenes of violence, this is according to the UN refugee agency.
Combined military forces succeeded in subduing the rebels. These combined force included United Nations peacekeepers, Russian mercenaries and the Central African Republic military.
Residents of the PK12 and PK9 areas ran for their lives to avoid the scattered shots in their area.
President Touadéra’s government has accused former president François Bozizé of attempting a coup d’etat.
Cameroon welcomed 92,000 refugees who escaped from the Central African Republic between 2004 and 2013. Additionally, 44,000 Nigerian refugees were hosted by Cameroon in 2014. The refugees were running from bandits and rebel groups in the northern part of CAR.
