ICC Note:
After Islamic militants violently seized control of the country on March 24, Christian persecution in the Central African Republic (CAR) has escalated. A pastor in CAR has characterized the Islamic militants’ short rule a “reign of terror,” citing dramatic increases in looting, church arson, and murder. Targeted persecution of Christians since the country’s upheaval has largely gone unreported and has yet to be condemned by the international community, leaving many Christians in the CAR to feel abandoned.
06/14/2013 Central African Republic (ChristianToday) – Islamist militants in the Central African Republic have launched a campaign of violence against Christians which has left many dead or seriously wounded.
The Séléka rebels, who seized control of the country on March 24, are targeting pastors and other Christian workers, and attacking and looting Christian places of worship and homes. Séléka means ‘union’ in the Sango language.
There have also been reports of Christians being tied up, beaten and forced to hand over money to save their lives. Already, some 173,000 people are displaced internally, and almost 50,000 have sought refuge abroad, according to UNHCR, the UN refugee agency.
One pastor described the current situation as a ‘reign of terror’, reporting that the rebels had a ‘hit list’ of prominent Christians they wanted to kill.
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