Photographer Camille Lepage Killed in Central African Republic

4 minute read

The body of French photojournalist Camille Lepage was found in the Bouar region of Central African Republic, the French presidency said in a statement on Tuesday. Lepage, a young photographer committed to the deep documentation of under-covered conflicts in eastern and central Africa, was 26.

The statement released by the office of French President François Hollande said Lepage was found “murdered” after French troops stopped a vehicle driven by anti-balaka, the militiamen comprised of Christians and animists who have spent months attacking Muslim civilians and battling disbanded factions of the mainly Muslim rebel coalition Séléka that overthrew the state in March 2013.

“All means necessary will be used to shed light on to the circumstances of this murder and to find her killers,” the statement said.

Lepage was based in Juba, South Sudan, for about a year and a half before arriving to Bangui, the riverside capital of Central African Republic, last fall. It was there that she met another French photojournalist, William Daniels, who was on his first trip to cover the conflict. Daniels told TIME he and Lepage quickly connected and decided to work together on a trip to Bossangoa, in the northwestern region of the country.

“She was very active, very patient, very passionate about this work. She wanted to do some very good long-term work about Central African Republic,” he said. “She stood out by being well-connected with the people of the country. In Bangui, everybody knew her. Everybody liked her,” he added. “They were impressed by her, because she was this young, white girl. Very brave.”

Lepage opened up about her interests in conflict and photojournalism last year in an interview. Asked about her top moments of her career to date, she responded, “Not sure I can talk about my ‘career’ just yet, I’m still just getting started! I find it amazing to be able to travel probably to some of the most remote areas, meet wonderful people everywhere and being able to document them.”

Toward the end of the interview, Lepage admitted the struggle of documenting scenes that might barely make it into a news cycle, no matter what her pictures portrayed. “It’s so frustrating to be covering something so tragic, that no one wants to publish and that can’t see the public light apart from social media.” Still, her work in Central African Republic shows that didn’t stop her, but instead motivated her.

News of her death immediately lit up social media, pushing her name into a worldwide trend on Twitter as friends, aid workers and other journalists recalled her memory and shared her photographs. Lepage was especially active on Instagram and used the image-sharing platform to frequently share scenes from her travels.

In her final Instagram post, uploaded a week ago, Lepage said she was traveling with anti-balaka fighters to Amada Gaza, the site of recent Séléka attacks.

Lepage’s final Instagram post

Lepage had recently returned to Bangui from a trip to New York, where her portfolio was reviewed and workshopped by some of the country’s top photo editors. On the lapels of her army green jacket were two cheap flag pins from a roadside shop in Bangui, making it easy to stand out.

In New York, Lepage spoke often about her experiences working in Central African Republic. She admitted fear, but didn’t show it, when discussing her work around anti-balaka or ex-Séléka fighters. And her knowledge of what was causing the devastating scenes she encountered was astounding. She wasn’t drawn to violence, as other photographers tend to focus on, and instead chose to find the humanity of it all, the otherwise unseen lives of civilians and fighters as the streets turned deadly.

Lepage hailed from Angers, France. Her photographs appeared in French newspapers Le Monde and Libération as well as major U.S. outlets like the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.


Andrew Katz is a homepage editor and reporter covering international affairs. Follow him on Twitter @katz.


Humanitarian Crisis in Central African Republic
Christians are seen in a Bishopric in Bossangoa, Central African Republic, Nov. 18, 2013. The Bishopric is secured by La Force multinationale de l'Afrique centrale (FOMAC). 40,000 Christians fled their villages because of threat from the ex-Séléka rebel group that took power in the country in March 2013. Camille Lepage—Polaris
Ethnic clashes in Bangui
At the Hopital Communautaire about 100 Christians and Muslims were treated by Médecins Sans Frontières staff, Dec. 5, 2013. The rebel anti-balaka (Christian self-defence militias) attacked Bangui early morning. At least 105 people were killed, many were civilians. Camille Lepage—Polaris
Riots in Bangui
Young men take to the streets in Benzeville, Bangui, Central African Republic, Nov. 17, 2013. Camille Lepage—Polaris
Riots in Bangui
Young men take to the streets, Bangui, Central African Republic, Nov. 17, 2013.Camille Lepage—Polaris
Ethnic violence in Bangui
Bodies are seen at Hospital Communautaire in Bangui, Central African Republic, Dec. 6, 2013. On the evening of Dec. 5, anti-balaka Christian defense militia groups pulled out of Bangui. The ex-Séléka then went from door to door killing people in the areas they thought were connected to the anti- balaka. Camille Lepage—Polaris
Village recovers from terror in CAR
Oct. 10, 2013. Wali Rama Elodie, 20, lost her husband Crisologue Goudonfo. Goudonfo was shot dead on his way home from work by ex-Séléka, with his colleague Ndapoto Tanguy,Camille Lepage—Polaris
Ethnic violence in Bangui
Members of Médecins Sans Frontières help carry dead bodies at Hospital Communautaire in Bangui, Central African Republic, Dec. 6, 2013.Camille Lepage—Polaris
Daily life at the PK5 market in Bangui
Young men pack on the top of a minibus at the PK5 (Point Kilometer 5) market, Bangui, Central African Republic. The market is one of the biggest in the capital. Run mostly by Muslims, the market is sometimes targeted by ex-Séléka rebels.Camille Lepage—Polaris
Humanitarian Crisis in Central African Republic
A Christian is seen in a Bishopric in Bossangoa, Central African Republic, Nov. 18, 2013. Camille Lepage—Polaris
Humanitarian Crisis in Central African Republic
Christians are seen in a Bishopric in Bossangoa, Central African Republic, Nov. 18, 2013. Camille Lepage—Polaris
Ethnic violence in Bangui
Bodies are seen lying on the road in Bangui, Central African Republic, Dec. 5, 2013. Camille Lepage—Polaris
Ethnic clashes in Bangui
At the Hopital Communautaire about 100 Christians and Muslims were treated by Médecins Sans Frontières staff, Dec. 5, 2013. Camille Lepage—Polaris
Ethnic violence in Bangui
A member of Médecins Sans Frontières is seen at Hospital Communautaire in Bangui, Central African Republic, Dec. 6, 2013.Camille Lepage—Polaris
Ethnic clashes in Bangui
A woman weeps in the Hopital Communautaire, Bangui, Central African Republic, Dec. 5, 2013. Camille Lepage—Polaris
Humanitarian Crisis in Central African Republic
Christians are seen in a Bishopric in Bossangoa, Central African Republic, Nov. 18, 2013. Camille Lepage—Polaris

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