When I first arrived in the Central African Republic (CAR), a resident aid worker told me that the capital, Bangui, was the most vulnerable city in the whole country. Most other cities and towns in CAR, he explained, have road access to a border (CAR is landlocked and surrounded by six countries). But Bangui is flanked by a wide river separating it from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, and the international airport is so small it can’t cope with a mass exodus.
Seleka rebels had snatched control of CAR in March 2013 in a swift, violent coup that toppled the former President, François Bozize, so aid organizations were concerned about security. Throughout that summer, other rebel alliances began rising against the predominantly Muslim Seleka and targeting Muslim communities, setting the stage for more political conflict.
