3 security personnel killed in Central African Republic

By Rodrigue Forku and Peter Kum

YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AA) – Three security personnel were killed in an ambush in the Central African Republic, an official said on Wednesday.

The attack occurred in the central part of the country on Tuesday night, Fangba Simon, a local administration official, told Anadolu Agency.

“A mixed patrol made up of gendarmerie personnel, police, and soldiers fell into an ambush Tuesday night on the road connecting the commune of Yaloke to Bossembele,” he said.

The victims were a gendarmerie personnel, a policeman, and a soldier, he added.

Simon said the group responsible for the attack was yet to be identified, but “several rebels were neutralized and others wounded” by security forces.

Fears of violence are running high ahead of the Dec. 27 general elections in the CAR, with the UN chief also issuing a call last week for stability and security.

On Monday, vehicles and campaign equipment of several election candidates were taken away by unidentified armed men, according to local media reports.

The situation in CAR remains tense and complex despite the February 2019 political agreement between the government and 14 rebel groups.

The deal galvanized international support, but violence continues in various provinces.

Incumbent President Faustin-Archange Touadera, who has been in office since 2016, has repeatedly reiterated his commitment to preserving peace.

The country has been wrecked by violence since Seleka rebels ousted then-President Francois Bozize in 2013, who rose to prominence during the rule of former dictator Jean-Bedel Bokassa.

The CAR, which gained independence from France in 1960, has rich untapped deposits of gold, diamonds, and uranium.