The New York Daily News reported that at least 30 people were killed in the Central African Republic recently when a group of Muslim militants rampaged with guns and grenades through a Catholic Church at a refugee camp in the capital city of Bangui. This attack on the Church at Fatima on Wednesday, May 28 is the city’s largest by Muslim rebels since they left power in January of this year.
“We were in the church when were heard the shooting outside,” the Rev. Freddy Mboula told The Associated Press. “There were screams and after 30 minutes of gunfire there were bodies everywhere.” Mboula also said one of those killed was a priest.
Churches have served as houses of refuge for both Christian and Muslim civilians since Muslim extremists took power in the CAR in March 2013, so most media outlets consider this attack a rare occurrence. While they were in power, the rebel regime had mostly left Muslim civilians alone while looting, raping and killing Christians. Christian militias have also retaliated with violence toward Muslims in Bangui during the past five months.
World magazine reported that hundreds of civilians were camped within the Church at Fatima to avoid the violence prevalent in Bangui’s streets. The report also said that the crisis in that country has displaced nearly a million people, and thousands have taken shelter in the Bangui airport.
