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Jean Chung

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30 images Created 10 Sep 2019

Life after the Coup - Central African Republic in 2013

Central African Republic is one of the poorest countries in the world, ranked as 179th out of 187 countries according to Human Development Index (HDI) in 2011, CAR's economic situation has deteriorated as violence and instability still remain to this date. In November 2013 United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that the security situation in the country remained precarious with government authority nonexistent outside of Bangui.
Seven months after the coup, there was a relative peace in the capital city and the suburbs; however, violence in the countryside, in towns such as Bossangoa and Bouar continue to threaten the security of the country resulting in killings, over 200,000 IDPs, torture, rape, and forced disappearances. Séléka, meaning "union" or "allegiance" in Sango language, propelled the current CAR interim President Michel Djotodia into power Séléka forces are still causing instability in the country, waging battles with pro-Bozizé supporters known as Anti-Balaka to this date. The insecurity drove the country into total chaos in almost every sector, as its citizens merely try to survive from day to day.
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  • Women sellers, known as Wali-gara in local Sango language, tend their stands with agricultural products in an indoor market in Bangui, the capital city of Central African Republic (CAR).
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  • A street vendor who sells phone cards walks in front of a metal gate which was vandalized by Séléka rebels who took over Bangui, the capital city, back in March 2013. Seven months after the coup, there was a relative peace in the capital city and the suburbs; however, violence in the countryside, in towns such as Bossangoa and Bouar continue to threaten the security of the country resulting in killings, over 200,000 IDPs, torture, rape, and forced disappearances. Séléka, meaning "union" or "allegiance" in Sango language, propelled the current CAR interim President Michel Djotodia into power Séléka forces are still causing instability in the country, waging battles with pro-Bozizé supporters known as Anti-Balaka to this date. The insecurity drove the country into total chaos in almost every sector, as its citizens merely try to survive from day to day.
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  • Women and children ride in the back of a "bush taxi" on the way to Kattin from Bangui. These bush taxis, along with pick-up trucks and big lorries, are considered public transportation, and are usually overloaded with luggage and people, causing frequent breakdowns, flat tires, and accidents.
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  • Mina, 19, top, and her grandmother, Alina, refugees from Bossangoa, found refuge in Boali. She and her grandmother and four other siblings had escaped Bossangoa at the end of September along with other refugees with an escort by FOMAC (The Multinational Force of Central Africa). She said her parents were holed up inside the school, where it has been used as a refugee camp of the Muslim population. They and other refugees said that pro-Bozize supporters, Anti-Balaka, were Christians, and they killed whoever was Muslim. Meanwhile, Christian refugees are staying at Catholic churches.
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  • An egg vendor walks on the street of downtown Bangui. One of the poorest countries in the world, ranked as 179th out of 187 countries according to Human Development Index (HDI) in 2011, CAR's economic situation has deteriorated as violence and instability still remain to this date. The majority of Central Africans survive on less than a dollar a day. With the poor economy, few operating schools, and a high illiteracy rate, children are often forced to earn a living through manual labor and street vending.
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  • A street vendor, at right, sells phone cards in his stand in a market area in Bangui.
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  • A street vendor, foreground, sells variety of goods in a neighborhood in Bangui. Many young boys and men become street vendors due to lack of education and resources.
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  • Vendors auction off backpacks and jeans imported from Nigeria or donated from Europe. Donated clothing from Europe is particularly popular as some times locals find Euro inside the pockets.
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  • Orphans in Centre de la Mere et de l'Enfant rest in a room in Bangui. Most of the orphans here were left by their biological parents, and adopted to families overseas.
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  • Most Central Africans begin their days preparing food around a wood fire in their front yard.
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  • Narké Eduish, center, a 30-year-old mother of six children, most of them malnourished, heads towards her house in Berberati. She said her husband left her and their children eight months ago, while she was still pregnant with her last son, to go to a diamond mine in Nakombo forest, 60 km from Berberati. Although she had a small piece of property, it was not enough to feed seven people in the house, and she and the children suffered from starvation. Abandonment and infidelity is common among miners in CAR, and the wives are often left behind without resources.
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  • A child carries a basket of manioc, the staple food in Central Africa, in Berberati, about 612 km west of Bangui. Berberati was relatively calm compared to Bossangoa; however, a gun fight between Séléka rebels in Bossangoa and another troop of Séléka traveling from Bangui was reported in October.
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  • Mothers tend children with malnutrition in the Malnutrition Tent operating under MSF(Médecins sans Frontières) -France in Carnot Hospital, Carnot, Central African Republic. According to MSF, the current military conflict exacerbated medical needs and caused humanitarian crisis, thus a large proportion of the population, especially in rural areas, does not have access to the most basic healthcare.
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  • A woman who was co-infected with tuberculosis and HIV is hospitalized in the TB ward operating under MSF-France in Carnot Hospital, Carnot, Central African Republic.
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  • Women wait for the consultation at the HIV/AIDS treatment ward operating under MSF-France in Carnot Hospital, Carnot, Central African Republic. According to Dr. Wilfried Mbolissa, specialist of HIV/AIDS for MSF-France, 75% of the patients are women who come either for prenatal tests or general consultations after getting infected. Most of the infected cases are sexually transmitted from their husbands who leave home for diamond or gold mines; or lack of use of condoms. Some children also come to the services who were infected by their mothers when they were pregnant.
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  • Women and children wait for the general physical check-ups in the Outpatient Division operating under MSF-France in Carnot Hospital, Carnot, Central African Republic.
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  • A child with malnutrition in the Outpatient Division operating under MSF-France in Carnot Hospital, Carnot, Central African Republic.
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  • Street vendors in a market area near Bossemptele.
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  • Soldiers, formerly Séléka rebels holding AK-47's, patrol in a pick-up truck near the power plant in Bangui as Central Africans ride on a lorry, serving as public transportation. Séléka, meaning "union" or "allegiance" in Sango language, propelled the current CAR interim President Michel Djotodia into power Séléka forces are still causing instability in the country, waging battles with pro-Bozizé supporters known as Anti-Balaka to this date. The insecurity drove the country into total chaos in almost every sector, as its citizens merely try to survive from day to day. In November 2013 United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon noted that the security situation in the country remained precarious with government authority nonexistent outside of Bangui.
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  • A teacher writes French sentences in the French class in a private school in Bangui. In October, 2013, only private schools were open, and public schools were dysfunctional as government workers had not been paid their salaries for more than three months. The French language is the official language of Central African Republic along with Sango, the local language.
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  • Students attend the French class in a private school in Bangui.
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  • Soldiers and civilians walk past the Garden of Semicentennial, a small park celebrating the 50th anniversary of the independence of Central African Republic (CAR) in Bangui, the capital city. The statues represent six former presidents including François Bozizé, far right with the missing name plate, the deposed president who fled the country after the Séléka rebels seized power by a military coup back in March 24, 2013. Séléka, meaning "union" or "allegiance" in Sango language, propelled the current CAR interim President Michel Djotodia into power Séléka forces are still causing instability in the country, waging battles with pro-Bozizé supporters known as Anti-Balaka to this date. The insecurity drove the country into total chaos in almost every sector, as its citizens merely try to survive from day to day. Already one of the poorest countries in the world, CAR's future looks bleaker than it ever has in the past.
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  • A street vendor, center, sells sandals in a busy market area in Bangui. Although the biggest import partner of CAR is Netherlands according to the CIA Factbook, most commodities are imported from Cameroon via Nigeria or China.
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  • A cattle driver whips a bull with a rope before dragging it <br />
to a slaughter house in a suburb of Bangui. Working as a team, these young men are hired by the bull owners who purchase the bulls in the livestock market, and pay young men 2,000 CFA (about 4 USD) to take a bull to the slaughter house.  The cows are mostly herded from Chad, Sudan, and as far as Niger, traveling up to two weeks to reach Bangui. They could be sold from 500,000 CFA (about 1,000 USD) to 700,000 CFA (about 1,470 USD) per cow.
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  • A Wali-gara, a woman seller, sells coals in a busy market area in Bangui. Locals say these street markets have their own co-op, and the sellers pay dues to maintain their spot.
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  • Merchants in a market await customers amid empty stands as they and other residents charge their mobile phone batteries in Bangui. Merchants said that the food stands were not full due to insecurity thus traders could not travel down to Bangui.
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  • A street vendor who sells knives, at right, walks around in a communal cafe area where soldiers and civilians take a break and snack in an indoor market in Bangui.
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  • An exterior view of Barthélemy Boganda Stadium in Bangui. Named after the first president of the country, Barthélemy Boganda, it can hold up to 35,000 spectators. The stadium is one of the construction projects completed by China which strengthens its ties with African nations through investments.
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  • Wali-gara, women sellers, slice vegetables to sell on an elevated stall in a busy market area in a suburb of Bangui. Locals say these street markets have their own co-op, and the sellers pay dues to maintain their spot.
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  • Children sell chili peppers and chewing gum in a market area in Bangui. With the poor economy, few operating schools, and a high illiteracy rate, children are often forced to earn a living through manual labor and street vending.
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