Witness to Collapse: William Daniels in Central African Republic
Witness to Collapse: William Daniels in Central African Republic
3 minute read
Jan. 31, 2014: A Central African soldier wounded during fighting with Muslims waits to be treated at the community hospital in Bangui.William Daniels—Panos for TIME
Two months after hundreds of people were killed during street fighting between mainly Muslim rebels and Christian vigilantes in Central African Republic, a violent assault on the country’s Muslims appears to be underway.
Factions of Séléka rebels spent much of last year rampaging and pillaging through the majority Christian country, but their disbanding last fall and the departure of their leader, Michel Djotodia, in January turned the tide against them. Catherine Samba-Panza was voted his replacement and asked all fighters to lay down their arms. But Christian militiamen called anti-balaka, or “anti-machete” in the local Sango dialect, have used her promotion as a prompt for retaliatory attacks against the Séléka and Muslim civilians.
French photojournalist William Daniels was recently on assignment for TIME and captured a snapshot of the current state of play. He said the strife in Bangui, where the carnage he photographed in December led to louder calls for humanitarian aid and an influx of French and African peacekeepers, appears a bit more localized. Some neighborhoods look normal and others, entirely empty, have been looted or burned. The main displacement camp at the capital’s M’Poko International Airport houses more than 100,000 people.
In the country’s north and west, where the foreign peacekeepers are trying to fan out with inconsistent or inconsequential success, the situation grows dire.
Chadians living in the country who can’t safely trek to the border are taking flights from Bangui’s airport. Some of Chad’s peacekeepers reportedly participated in the Séléka’s deadly raids. Daniels went to Boyélé, halfway between Bossangoa and Bouar, where he said all the houses were burned but the school was open. In Boali, he met a priest who chose to harbor hundreds of Muslims in his church guarded by African peacekeepers. Anti-balaka, who have threatened the priest, are looking for revenge.
Their weaponry is makeshift compared to that of the foreign forces, whose absence in certain areas has afforded the Christian militias a freedom similar to what Séléka earlier enjoyed. “We don’t want to attack the Muslim civilians, we just want to attack the Séléka,” one fighter told Daniels, adding that he thought all Muslims were Séléka.
Daniels went back to Central African Republic to bear witness to a conflict long-ignored, and plans to return after this trip. He understands the risk but recognizes the importance that the public and decision-makers see what he sees, so they can be moved to act—or at least care.
William Daniels is a photographer represented by Panos Pictures. Daniels previously wrote for LightBox about his escape from Syria.
Andrew Katz is a reporter with TIME covering international affairs. Follow him on Twitter @katz.
The following photographs were taken between December 2013 and February 2014 in the capital, Bangui, or in the northwest.
Feb. 3, 2014: Civilians flee during a heavy firefight between armed Muslims and MISCA, the African-led International Support Mission to the Central African Republic, in Bangui.William Daniels—Panos for TIMEFeb. 3, 2014: French troops chase Christians looting Muslim houses in Bangui.William Daniels—Panos for TIMEFeb. 4, 2014: Christian looters look for things to collect in the Miskin district of Bangui.William Daniels—Panos for TIMEFeb. 2, 2014: A man poses in former Emperor Jean-Bédel Bokassa's compound near the village of Pissa. He is one of the many Christians there, originally recruited by Séléka to become soldiers, but later abandoned by their leader. No food is available so they hunt rats to eat, fearing to leave as they could be considered Séléka collaborators.William Daniels—Panos for TIMEFeb. 3, 2014: Christian girls collect notebooks at a looted Muslim house in Bangui.William Daniels—Panos for TIMEJan. 31, 2014: A Central African soldier wounded during fighting with Muslims waits to be treated at the community hospital in Bangui.William Daniels—Panos for TIMEJan. 30, 2014: A few hundred anti-balaka on the road between Bossemptélé and Zawa return from an attack on a Peuhl village.William Daniels—PanosJan. 28, 2014: The main displacement camp adjacent to Bangui's M'Poko International Airport, where thousands of people fled after the violence erupted in early December, now houses more than 100,000 people. The airport is secured by the French army.William Daniels—PanosJan. 24, 2014: Soldiers of Central African Republic's armed forces gather during the inauguration of interim President Catherine Samba-Panza, in Bangui.William Daniels—PanosJan. 25, 2014: A house burnt by Séléka fighters before they left the village of Zawa.William Daniels—PanosJan. 22, 2014: A Muslim man accused of being a Séléka fighter was lynched by dozens of angry Christians in Bangui. French and African peacekeepers tried to help him, but he later died.William Daniels—PanosJan. 29, 2014: The grave of Ndjawane Diara, 9, in Bata. She was shot by a Séléka fighter while she was carried by her mother, who was trying to escape.William Daniels—PanosJan. 25, 2014: Displaced Muslims pray in front of the church of Boali. Several hundred Muslims have taken refuge in this church, whose priest, Father Xavier-Arnaud Fagba, offered to shelter them from anti-balaka attacks. The compound is protected by MISCA forces.William Daniels—PanosJan 25. 2014: Anti-balaka in the medical center in Zawa, where some of their wounded comrades were being treated after fighting Séléka fighters.William Daniels—PanosJan 25. 2014: Anti-balaka in the medical center in Zawa, where some of their wounded comrades were being treated after fighting Séléka fighters.William Daniels—PanosJan. 31, 2014: Said Amet Figo, age 30 , half-Christian by his mother and half-Muslim by his father, claims to have been randomly targeted be Séléka forces who detained and tortured him for five months in a building in Camp Kasaï, very close to former President Michel Djotodia’s residence. They hit him with electric wires and burnt his body, including his genitals, with embers and attempted to slit his throat.William Daniels—Panos for TIMEJan. 31, 2014: A man wounded during previous days of fighting between Christians and Muslims is washed by his wife in a tent in Bangui's community hospital.William Daniels—Panos for TIMEDec. 9, 2013: Internally displaced people wait for food at the Don Bosco Center in Bangui. Some 18,000 Christians took refuge here.William Daniels—PanosDec. 10, 2013: A Christian man destroying burnt out cars in rage, next to a looted mosque that had been set on fire in Bangui.William Daniels—PanosDec. 9, 2013: A female relative grieves over the death of Sept-Abel Sangomalet, 20, who was allegedly stabbed by Muslims while sleeping at his family home in Bangui.William Daniels—PanosJan. 28, 2014: After the last Séléka fighter left Camp Kasaï in Bangui, French troops look for weapons and ammunition.William Daniels—PanosJan. 28, 2014: A village between Bozoum and Bossemptélé, was burned by Séléka.William Daniels—Panos
