20-26 July, 2015

1. Court rules that CAR refugees be given right to vote

Zamane, Naïm-Kaélin. "La Cour Constitutionelle de Transition décide du vote des réfugiés aux prochaines élections." Centrafrique Presse Info (CPI), 21 July 2015. In French.

• In a session on 20 July, the Transitional Constitutional Court in CAR ruled that refugees should have the right to vote in upcoming presidential and legislative elections.
• The Court said that while the complexity of the current situation certainly highlights the difficulty of organizing voting operations for displaced and refugee populations, these challenges still do not allow the state to deny citizens their right to vote.

"La Cour constitutionelle de transition favorable au vote des étrangers." Journal de Bangui, 24 July 2015. In French.

•  The judges of the Transitional Constitutional Court announced on Tuesday 21 July that they had voted to allow displaced persons and refugees from CAR to vote.
• This ruling contradicts a law adopted by the National Transitional Council at the beginning of July, which excluded these populations out of concerns about fraud.
• This law by the National Transitional Council was criticized by many members of the international community, including the Humanitarian Coordinator of the UN in CAR.

2. WFP humanitarian convoy attacked in western CAR

"La communauté humanitaire de Centrafrique condamne l'attaque du véhicule du PAM à l'ouest du pays." Centrafrique Presse Info (CPI), 22 July 2015. In French.

•  A convoy carrying goods from the World Food Programme was attacked by an unidentified armed group on 18 July near the town of Baboua.
• The UN's humanitarian coordinator in the country condemned the attacked and called on all groups to respect the free movement of humanitarian workers.

"Humanitarian Coordinator strongly condemns attack against a convoy carrying humanitarian aid to Baboua." United Nations News Centre, via ReliefWeb, 22 July 2015. In English.

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs issued a statement condemning the attack on a humanitarian convoy near Baboua in western CAR.
• Armed gunmen fired on the convoy of twenty trucks, which was escorted by MINUSCA peacekeepers, killing one driver and injuring several passengers.
• The statement notes that there has been an increase in armed activity along Main Supply Route 1 in western CAR, hampering humanitarian access in the region.

3. Armed attacks increase in western CAR; politicians kidnapped in Baboua

"Regain d'attaque des hommes armés sur le corridor Bouar-Garoua-Boulai." Centrafrique Presse Info (CPI), 20 July 2015. In French.

• In recent weeks, several vehicles have been attacked and burned by armed groups along the road connecting Bouar, Baboua and Garoua-Boulai in western CAR, near the border with Cameroon. In one instance the driver of one of the vehicles was beaten by unidentified gunmen.
• Civilians in the region are concerned that insecurity along the road will result in rising food prices and possible shortages if transportation halts or slows.

"Rapt du Sous-préfet et du Maire de Baboua." Radio Ndeke Luka, 20 July 2015. In French.

• On Sunday 19 July the deputy prefect and mayor of Baboua were kidnapped by members of the Front Démocratique du Peuple Centrafricain (FDPC), an armed group led by Martin Koumtamadji (alias Abdoulaye Miskine).
• According to an anonymous local source, the politicians were returning to Baboua after attending a meeting in Bouar. The kidnapping occurred in a town called Goré about 35 kilometers from Baboua.
  
• Members of the transitional government and civil society condemned the attack and called on international forces to better protect civilians.
• The article notes that attacks by the FDPC have increased significantly in the past two weeks, raising tensions in the region.

"Quatre camionneurs camerounais tués par des bandes armées centrafricaines." APA, via Africatime, 23 July 2015. In French.

• Four truck drivers from Cameroon were killed by armed groups along the Douala-Bangui corridor on 18 July, according to a truck drivers' union in Cameroon.
• According to the union, the attack took place between Baboua and Bouar, in western CAR near the border with Cameroon.