Amnesty International recently published a report calling for the investigation, prosecution and punishment of the perpetrators in the on-going violent conflict in CAR. The report identifies former officers of the Forces Armées Centrafricaine (FACA) currently in command of anti-balaka militias. The militias have committed serious crimes under international law and are responsible for other human rights abuses. The interim report from the UN Panel of Experts on CAR reveals a similar pattern. There is no clear distinction between militia men and members of the state security forces. Many Seleka commanders present themselves as FACA officers, dressed in the uniform of the national army. Anti-balaka commanders comprise FACA officers, gendarmes and police officers; some of them still on pay-roll of the current government. 'Sobel', a portmanteau of 'soldier' and 'rebel', describes the fluid loyalties of armed men in war zones who interchangeably appear as rebels and soldiers. The root causes of this 'sobel' phenomenon in CAR must be a priority for the government and the international community. The presence of sobels is often an indication that a war is profitable for both rebels and soldiers, providing them with an incentive to lengthen the conflict to maximise their earnings. The prospect of [...]
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