Ya'll might recall that one of my former students had a guest blog about the role of France in Africa. Hats of to AM for his continued following of issues in Africa, particularly the case of the Central African Republic. He recently sent me a short list of questions regarding the conflict in C.A.R. I am going to address some of these questions in a multi-part blog. So this blog is part one of three.
The C.A.R. is a landlocked country in central Africa (hence the name, duh) of about 623,000 square kilometers bordering Cameroon, DRC, Congo, Sudan, South Sudan (might be what we call landlocked with bad neighbors or at least landlocked in a bad neighborhood). C.A.R. has vast plains, but only 3% of the land is arable. Large forests exist and mountains in the border areas with Sudan, South Sudan, and DRC (This area is where Kony and the remnant of the LRA are supposedly hiding out). Deforestation and lack of potable water are issues, diamond, timber, coffee, and cotton are the major exports and the GDPPC is about U.S. $900 (2012 estimate).
In 2011 President Bozzize was re-elected in what was regarded as a flawed process by many international observers. Bozzize's government catered to the Christian majority (about 65% of the population claims protestant or Roman Catholic ties, but much of this population's Christianity is highly laced with animistic and shamanistic practices) to the economic and political disadvantagement of the Muslim minority (about 15% of the population claims Islamic faith). Bozzize's heavy-handed approach and use of the military led to the formation of Islamic based rebels, who outmaneuvered the governments forces and Bozizze fled the country in March 2013. The minority based rebel movment placed their leader Djotodia in the presidency. Djotodia proved to be just as heavy handed and unable to control the Muslim rebel army from misconduct. The majority Christian population spawned numerous rebel movements which have unseated Djotodia and forced the Muslim rebels out of the capital. French and African Union peacekeepers are now trying to keep Christian mobs under control as they attempt to engage in retaliatory beatings, burnings, killings against the Muslim rebels who engaged in such practice after unseating Bozizze last spring. For my two cents, this situation is truly tragic and deserves careful consideration.
In the next two installments I will consider whether or not this civil unrest is an ethnic conflict, whether the U.S. should take any action, or whether what is being done already by the French and the AU is enought.
The C.A.R. is a landlocked country in central Africa (hence the name, duh) of about 623,000 square kilometers bordering Cameroon, DRC, Congo, Sudan, South Sudan (might be what we call landlocked with bad neighbors or at least landlocked in a bad neighborhood). C.A.R. has vast plains, but only 3% of the land is arable. Large forests exist and mountains in the border areas with Sudan, South Sudan, and DRC (This area is where Kony and the remnant of the LRA are supposedly hiding out). Deforestation and lack of potable water are issues, diamond, timber, coffee, and cotton are the major exports and the GDPPC is about U.S. $900 (2012 estimate).
In 2011 President Bozzize was re-elected in what was regarded as a flawed process by many international observers. Bozzize's government catered to the Christian majority (about 65% of the population claims protestant or Roman Catholic ties, but much of this population's Christianity is highly laced with animistic and shamanistic practices) to the economic and political disadvantagement of the Muslim minority (about 15% of the population claims Islamic faith). Bozzize's heavy-handed approach and use of the military led to the formation of Islamic based rebels, who outmaneuvered the governments forces and Bozizze fled the country in March 2013. The minority based rebel movment placed their leader Djotodia in the presidency. Djotodia proved to be just as heavy handed and unable to control the Muslim rebel army from misconduct. The majority Christian population spawned numerous rebel movements which have unseated Djotodia and forced the Muslim rebels out of the capital. French and African Union peacekeepers are now trying to keep Christian mobs under control as they attempt to engage in retaliatory beatings, burnings, killings against the Muslim rebels who engaged in such practice after unseating Bozizze last spring. For my two cents, this situation is truly tragic and deserves careful consideration.
In the next two installments I will consider whether or not this civil unrest is an ethnic conflict, whether the U.S. should take any action, or whether what is being done already by the French and the AU is enought.
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