Paul KeenanFifteen dead as gunmen storm church in Bangui
At least 15 Catholic worshippers in the Central African Republic (CAR) have been slaughtered in an attack on their church.
The attack was launched as people gathered at the Notre-Dame de Fatima church in the capital, Bangui, on May 28. According to eyewitness accounts, gunmen stormed the church compound where they spent some 30 minutes throwing grenades and firing on worshippers attempting to escape. The parish priest, Paul-Emile Nzale,is known to be among the dead.
It was further reported that the death toll in Bangui may rise as many of those injured in the attack sustained life-threatening wounds.
The incident has been blamed on members of Seleka, the rebel militia which seized power in CAR in 2013 and was finally ousted in January of this year. It has since engaged in violent tit-for-tat actions against the anti-Balaka movement, a loose affiliation of village defence groups. However, the church compound attack represents a worrying new development in the ongoing CAR crisis. While compounds previously have been looted by Seleka, especially in the first weeks of its retreat north, compounds have been viewed unofficially as places of sanctuary both for Christians and Muslims.