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Several peacekeepers victims of a mine explosion in the Central African Republic. journaldebangui.com
Elements of the United Nations mission were killed in the explosion of their vehicle in the west of the Central African Republic. While violence has changed speed considerably in the Central African Republic following the interventions of the country’s forces assisted by the Russians, Rwandans and peacekeepers, and that the armed groups have lost ground, they are now resorting to new strategies. The rebels are now using guerrilla tactics, including laying mines, in an attempt to regain ground in the country. While roadside explosives have already crippled humanitarian work in the northwest of the country, landmines are less common in the west. A MINUSCA convoy leaving the town of Berberati – regarding 500 kilometers (300 miles) from the capital – for a temporary military outpost, rolled over a mine and exploded. Three Tanzanian soldiers were injured when their vehicle struck the bomb. A seriously injured peacekeeper was transported to Bangui for treatment. “This is the third time that MINUSCA peacekeepers have been victims of explosive devices in the Central African Republic”, the UN mission said in a statement. After several years of a latent continuation of the civil war that erupted in 2013, the past few months have seen a spike in violence. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by this crisis and a major humanitarian crisis has arisen. Since August, mines have killed eight people, including two women and a five-year-old child, in the northwest, according to MINUSCA.
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