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21 images Created 20 Aug 2018

War Widows of Central African Republic's Sectarian Violence 2015

Three years of conflict in Central African Republic on top of decades of civil turmoil and economic deprivation have taken a huge toll on the country's women. With many widowed at an early age, they are often stigmatised, forced from their homes into dependency on humanitarian aid with an uncertain future.
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  • Awa, 60, from Mailmaka Quarter in Bangui, lost her husband from the December 2013 conflict. Now she lives in Central Mosque IDP camp with three children.
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  • Three years of conflict in Central African Republic on top of decades of civil turmoil and economic deprivation have taken a huge toll on the country's women. With many widowed at an early age, they are often stigmatised, forced from their homes into dependency on humanitarian aid with an uncertain future.<br />
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Irene, 38, from Batangafo, who lost her parents from the first conflict in December 2013, said her husband has been missing ever since the second conflict had happened on September 26, 2015. She said her younger sister was decapitated by Muslims on the same day. Now as an IDP at Centre St. Jean XXIII camp, she supports herself as a part-time cleaner for private homes.
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  • Eve, 49, said her husband died of heart attack on September 26, 2015, when he was running away from the violence. During the chaos of everyone else was running around, her house collapsed in front her, injuring her back. Now she is an IDP living in Ben-zvi camp along with six children.
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  • Martinique, 28, from Sara Quarter in Bangui, lost her husband and a ten-year-old son by gunshots on August 16, 2015. She said she also lost her mother, father-in-law, and grandfather from the September 26 violence in 2015. Now she is staying in Castors camp with her son, Miguel, who is one year and 10 months old along with other extended family members.
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  • Merlene, 20, center, from Bazanga Quarter in Bangui, said her husband was killed by Muslims on September 26, 2015, and has become an IDP staying at Ben-zvi camp. She and her husband were in the home on the morning of September 26 when gunshots were heard. Her husband told her to move out of the house then was killed by a grenade inside home. She is about eight-month pregnant and said she would give birth inside the camp fearing insecurity.
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  • Pauline, 55, from Bazanga Quarter in Bangui, said her husband was killed by Seleka rebels on September 26, 2015, and went to the M'poko IDP camp. In the camp, she is staying with eight of her children and other extended family members. She said she had very little means to survive.
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  • Marie-Florence, 44, from Sangbado Quarter in Bangui, said her husband was killed by gun on September 26, 2015. She is an IDP inside Ben-zvi camp along with her children.
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  • Adia, 32, from Boulata Quarter in Bangui, lost husband from the September 26 conflict. She said her husband, a Muslim, was killed by Christian rebels, anti-Balaka, by knife. She is staying at Central Mosque camp with four children.
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  • Adia, 32, from Boulata Quarter in Bangui, lost husband from the September 26 conflict. She said her husband, a Muslim, was killed by Christian rebels, anti-Balaka, by knife. She is staying at Central Mosque camp with four children.
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  • Suzane, 70, from Sara-Kaba Quarter in Bangui, said her husband was killed by gun on September 26, 2015, when he did not have enough energy to move and run away from home when Muslims attacked. One of her sons, Florent, was taken by Seleka rebels on that day and has been missing since then. She is staying at Saint Sauveur camp.
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  • Margerritte, 60, from Sara Quarter, said her husband was shot by gun in front of the house on September 26, 2015, when he was unable to run away. She is living in Saint Sauveur camp with 13 other family members.
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  • Nineteen-year-old Chancella, second from left, from Yakite Quarter in Bangui, carries her two-month-old baby, Abigail, inside Centre St. Jean XXIII camp. Her husband has been missing since the morning of September 26, 2015, when he went to work to a restaurant. Chancella has been living in the IDP camp since then, looking for a job as a cleaner every day.
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  • Nineteen-year-old Chancella, from Yakite Quarter in Bangui, with her two-month-old baby, Abigail, sits inside Centre St. Jean XXIII camp. Her husband has been missing since the morning of September 26, 2015, when he went to work to a restaurant. Chancella has been living in the IDP camp since then, looking for a job as a cleaner every day.
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  • Isabelle, 45, from Bouca province, said her husband was killed by gun from the first conflict of December 2013, and her 26-year-old daughter has been missing for two years. She has moved to Ben-zvi IDP camp and been staying there ever since.
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  • Fadilato, 25, said her husband was caught in the crossfire on the first conflict on December 5, 2015, and has been missing since then. She came to Centre St. Jean XXIII camp at that time with three children and has been staying in the same camp for two years.
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  • Deborah, 19, from Sara Quarter in Bangui, lost her first husband on December 25, 2014 as Muslims were shooting guns in the quarter. She heard of his death from the relatives later. She was pregnant when the husband died and gave birth to her daughter shown in the photo. She remarried, and gave birth to another daughter seven months before this photo was taken. Now she is living in Saint Sauveur camp with two of her children and the second husband.
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  • Melanie Banga, 34, from Sara Quarter in Bangui, said the body of her husband was found inside a well among eight other bodies in it on December 7, 2015, from the first conflict. She said the husband was met with Seleka rebels and killed by them. After her husband was missing, she asked Brundi soldiers for help, and that was when they found the bodies in the well. She said she buried the husband in the cemetery in Ndress.
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  • Claudine, 47, prays inside Saint Sauveur IDP camp in Bangui. She said her husband was killed by guns from the first conflict of December 2013. On September 26, 2015, her house was burned down by the Muslim rebels, and she and her family moved to this camp on the same day. She has been cleaning near the statue of Virgin Mary in the camp.
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  • Mirelle Ndilmadji, 40, from Paua province, said she has been suffering from depression and occasional insomnia since the Seleka rebels killed her husband in December 2013. She used to be a peanut seller, but lost her home and moved to Bangui's Castors IDP camp. Seleka rebels invaded the camp and she moved to Centre St. Jean XXIII camp, then to Ben-zvi camp. She said her older brother was also killed in Sara Quarter on September 26, 2015.
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  • Helene from Bazanga Quarter in Bangui said she lost her husband from the September 26 conflict. She is now staying at Centre St. Jean XXIII IDP camp with three of her children.
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  • Fatima, center, 60, from Mustapha Quarter in Bangui, lost her husband, older sister, and grandson from the September 26 violence. She is staying at Central Mosque IDP camp with 10 of her children.
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