Villagers flee kidnappers demanding huge ransoms

Bandits bent on extorting ransom monies by abducting livestock keepers in the northwest of the Central African Republic (CAR) have forced thousands of people to seek shelter in urban areas where many have become destitute, aid workers said.

The bandits, known as 'Zaraguinas', kidnap mainly children and young adults from villages and hold them until their relatives are able to pay the huge ransoms demanded, according to Hamadou Nabeti, a victim of the racket. He fled the village of Tantale, 45km north of Bozoum town, in Ouham-Pende, last year after paying extortionists to release his children.

Residents of the region believe the abductions started because of ongoing insurgency in the area, as bandits take advantage of the national army's preoccupation with combating the insurrection.

An estimated 150,000 people have fled their homes because of the frequent clashes between government forces and rebels of the Armée populaire pour la restauration de la république et de la démocratie (APRD), and the marauding bandits in CAR's northwest since October 2006.

"I left my village after highway robbers struck our village on 17 October 2006," Nabeti told IRIN. The armed bandits abducted children and took away food and livestock, he said.

"I had to sell all my cattle to pay for the release of my children from captivity," he added. He is now living with his two wives and 12 children in a rented house in Bozoum where he was struggling to raise US$4 monthly rent, he said.

The Zaraguinas are apparently attracted by the livestock wealth of the people in the area.

Al Hadj Salle, a 45-year-old cattle breeder in Paoua, said he had been forced to flee to Bozoum after his 13-year-old son was kidnapped by the Zaraguinas. He was forced to pay 1.5 million CFA (US$3,000), which he raised by selling his cattle.

"There were 7,000 IDPs [internally displaced persons] in the town two months ago but only 3,798 of them are registered," said Leonard Bangue, the mayor of Bozoum. He confirmed they had settled in the town for security reasons.

I had to sell all my cattle to pay for the release of my children from captivity

The mayor complained that residents of the area had been abandoned by the military and were now at the mercy of bandits. Patrols by the national army are rare, and the porous borders allow marauders from neighbouring countries such as Chad and Cameroon to come in unhindered.

"We expected FOMUC [Force multinationale en Centrafrique] to help in restoring security in the region, but we are upset to find out that they do not have a mandate to fight the bandits," said Bangue. He said the apparent reluctance of soldiers to crack down on the bandits had exacerbated the problem.

"Most of those who attack cattle keepers are foreigners who have the support of a few nationals who know the region well," the mayor said. According to him, the raiders did not speak local languages.

Living on charity

The growing number of IDPs in the region has created more humanitarian problems. Many of those who have sought refuge in towns after fleeing the extortionists have no money for food, shelter or basic medical care for their families.

"I am living on charity because my whole family is relying on food distributed by aid agencies and two of my wives died because I did not have money to buy medicine for them," said Nabeti. The Italian charity Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI) and Caritas have a presence in the area.

The cost of living has soared in urban areas with the influx of displaced people, and hospitals and schools are struggling to cope with rising numbers. Some children from displaced families cannot be accommodated in schools because classrooms are full.

Insecurity has disrupted agriculture. Farmers are avoiding their fields for fear of being kidnapped and so food security is expected to suffer.

"We are running out of seeds for the new agricultural period because we don't have enough and we are likely to eat the little we have," said Benoit Bedounde, a 32-year-old village chief in Bemal, 55km north of Paoua.

The prefect of Bozoum, Raymond Ndougou, urged the government to solve the security problem so that people can resume their economic activities.

"The government should find a peaceful solution to the ongoing crisis to move towards security and calm in the northwestern region," said Ndougou.

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