11-06-2018, 11:25 PM
*** 7-Nov-18 World View -- Suspicions grow about Russia's Wagner PMC mercenary group in Central African Republic
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Over 10,000 people displaced by new fighting in Central African Republic civil war
****
![[Image: g181106b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g181106b.jpg)
Tanzanian soldier in UN blue helmet peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic in July (AFP)
Last week, the town of Batangafo in northern Central African Republic
(CAR) was attacked by militias in the ongoing generational crisis
civil war. Armed groups looted and burned thousands of homes, three
camps hosting 27,000 displaced and a market in the city. Some 10,000
are seeking refuge in a hospital in Batangafo run by Doctors Without
Borders Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF). At the same time,
the town of Bambari in central CAR was attacked. Dozens of people
were wounded or killed, or had to be treated for burns.
The CAR sectarian war began in March 2013, when François Bozizé, the
Christian former president of CAR, was ousted in a coup in March 2013
by Michel Djotodia, a Muslim, who became president and served until
January 2014.
After Djotodia's coup took place in March 2013, Muslim Séléka militias
began committing atrocities, particularly targeting the Christian
constituencies of the deposed François Bozizé. In December 2013,
French Foreign Legion peacekeeping troops arrived to disarm the Séléka
militias.
The actions of the French troops backfired. When the Muslim Séléka
troops were disarmed, the Christian anti-balaka militias "rushed into
the vacuum," and began committing atrocities in 2014, for revenge
against the Sélékas. Since then, both Christians and Muslims have
been committing atrocities, and it's become a full-scale generational
crisis war. Thousands have been killed, and millions have been
displaced.
Since 2013, there's been a delusional struggle, led by the United
Nations Security Council, to use "peacekeepers" to bring the fighting
to an end. The idea that "peacekeepers" can stop the progress
of a generational crisis war is absurd beyond belief.
In 2015, there was even a visit by Pope Francis to CAR's capital city
Bangui to propose "a renewed attention to the idea of a respectful
urban integration, as opposed to elimination, paternalism,
indifference or mere containment." ( "28-Nov-15 World View -- Pope Francis to visit Central African Republic in middle of civil war"
)
Well, I'm not sure that a visit by a Pope ever ended any war. A
generational crisis war only ends when everybody is completely
exhausted, and then only with an "explosive climax," usually an act of
genocide that's so horrific that both sides agree to end the war, and
vow never to allow anything like that to happen again. The war in CAR
is nowhere near such an explosive climax.
Jonathan Allen, UK's UN ambassador, recently said the following
at a UN Security Council meeting:
<QUOTE>"Civilians, peacekeepers, and humanitarian workers
continue to be attacked. More than one in four Central Africans
remain displaced; half of the population are in desperate need of
humanitarian assistance. Only 36% of the 2018 Humanitarian
Response Plan has been funded. We encourage all member states to
help fill this gap. The UK has provided £63 million – or $81
million – in humanitarian aid to CAR since 2015. We believe that
this aid supports progress towards a stable, secure, and peaceful
CAR – something that remains in all of our
interests."<END QUOTE>
No it won't. Any aid money to try and stop this generational
crisis war is just money down the drain.
From the point of Generational Dynamics, CAR's last generational
crisis war was the 1928-1931 Kongo-Wara Rebellion ("War of the Hoe
Handle"), which was a very long time ago, putting CAR today deep into
a generational Crisis era, with a new crisis war in progress.
This war was triggered by a religious fault line between Muslims and
Christians, but it's actually an ethnic war between cattle herders,
such as ethnic Fulani, versus farmers, such as ethnic Gula and Runga.
As I've described many times in Central African Republic, Nigeria,
Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, and even America in the
1800s, is that in country after country, there a classic and recurring
battle between herders and farmers. The farmers accuse the herders of
letting the cattle eat their crops, while the herders accuse the
farmers of planting on land that's meant for grazing. If the farmers
put up fences, then the herders knock them down. ReliefWeb (1-Nov) and Médecins Sans Frontières and Reuters and UK Government
****
**** Suspicions grow about Russia's Wagner PMC mercenary group in Central African Republic
****
In July, three internationally known reporters and war correspondents
were gunned down and killed in Central African Republic after their
car was ambushed.
The three were making a documentary film for TsUR, an investigative
media center funded by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a Russian oligarth. In
2003, Khodorkovsky announced he would run against Vladimir Putin for
president. Putin destroyed Khodorkovsky, and had him jailed for life,
only letting him out in 2013 in a "humanitarian gesture" before the
Sochi Olympics.
The topic of the documentary film was the Wagner Private Military
Company (PMC), a mercenary group, sometimes known as "Putin's personal
army" that Putin uses for "dirty work" when he needs deniability, most
recently in Ukraine and Syria. In the West, Wagner is believed
responsible for the deaths of the three journalists, while Russia's
foreign ministry denies the connection.
Historically, peacekeeping efforts in CAR were led by France, which
had been the colonial power in the past. But in the past year, Russia
has been actively working to expand its influence in CAR, supplying
hundreds of weapons to the CAR army along with 175 civilian and
military instructors.
Suspicions have raised that Russians are less interested in
peacekeeping, and more interested in cutting deals with rebels and
deploying Wagner mercenaries to guard the extraction of gold, diamonds
and uranium. There had been a previous announcement that Russia and
CAR had agreed on joint "exploratory mining concessions."
France's defence minister Florence Parly said last week:
<QUOTE>"Russia has asserted its presence in the Central
African Republic in recent months, it is true, but I am not sure
that this presence and the actions deployed by Moscow, like the
agreements negotiated in Khartoum at the end of August, help to
stabilize the country."<END QUOTE>
However, Russia's foreign ministry had defended its actions against
what it said was "a certain jealousy" by other foreign powers over
Russia's role in CAR. Telegraph (London, 31-Jul) and Africa News and Reuters (17-Oct) and Telegraph (London)
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Central African Republic, CAR, Bangui,
Batangafo, Bambari, François Bozizé, Michel Djotodia,
Séléka, anti-Balaka, Fulani, Gula, Runga,
Kongo-Wara Rebellion, War of the Hoe Handle,
Doctors Without Borders, Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF,
Pope Francis, Jonathan Allen,
Russia, Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, TsUR,
Wagner Private MilitaryCompany, PMC, France, Florence Parly
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Over 10,000 people displaced by new fighting in Central African Republic civil war
- Suspicions grow about Russia's Wagner PMC mercenary group in Central African Republic
****
**** Over 10,000 people displaced by new fighting in Central African Republic civil war
****
Tanzanian soldier in UN blue helmet peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic in July (AFP)
Last week, the town of Batangafo in northern Central African Republic
(CAR) was attacked by militias in the ongoing generational crisis
civil war. Armed groups looted and burned thousands of homes, three
camps hosting 27,000 displaced and a market in the city. Some 10,000
are seeking refuge in a hospital in Batangafo run by Doctors Without
Borders Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF). At the same time,
the town of Bambari in central CAR was attacked. Dozens of people
were wounded or killed, or had to be treated for burns.
The CAR sectarian war began in March 2013, when François Bozizé, the
Christian former president of CAR, was ousted in a coup in March 2013
by Michel Djotodia, a Muslim, who became president and served until
January 2014.
After Djotodia's coup took place in March 2013, Muslim Séléka militias
began committing atrocities, particularly targeting the Christian
constituencies of the deposed François Bozizé. In December 2013,
French Foreign Legion peacekeeping troops arrived to disarm the Séléka
militias.
The actions of the French troops backfired. When the Muslim Séléka
troops were disarmed, the Christian anti-balaka militias "rushed into
the vacuum," and began committing atrocities in 2014, for revenge
against the Sélékas. Since then, both Christians and Muslims have
been committing atrocities, and it's become a full-scale generational
crisis war. Thousands have been killed, and millions have been
displaced.
Since 2013, there's been a delusional struggle, led by the United
Nations Security Council, to use "peacekeepers" to bring the fighting
to an end. The idea that "peacekeepers" can stop the progress
of a generational crisis war is absurd beyond belief.
In 2015, there was even a visit by Pope Francis to CAR's capital city
Bangui to propose "a renewed attention to the idea of a respectful
urban integration, as opposed to elimination, paternalism,
indifference or mere containment." ( "28-Nov-15 World View -- Pope Francis to visit Central African Republic in middle of civil war"
)
Well, I'm not sure that a visit by a Pope ever ended any war. A
generational crisis war only ends when everybody is completely
exhausted, and then only with an "explosive climax," usually an act of
genocide that's so horrific that both sides agree to end the war, and
vow never to allow anything like that to happen again. The war in CAR
is nowhere near such an explosive climax.
Jonathan Allen, UK's UN ambassador, recently said the following
at a UN Security Council meeting:
<QUOTE>"Civilians, peacekeepers, and humanitarian workers
continue to be attacked. More than one in four Central Africans
remain displaced; half of the population are in desperate need of
humanitarian assistance. Only 36% of the 2018 Humanitarian
Response Plan has been funded. We encourage all member states to
help fill this gap. The UK has provided £63 million – or $81
million – in humanitarian aid to CAR since 2015. We believe that
this aid supports progress towards a stable, secure, and peaceful
CAR – something that remains in all of our
interests."<END QUOTE>
No it won't. Any aid money to try and stop this generational
crisis war is just money down the drain.
From the point of Generational Dynamics, CAR's last generational
crisis war was the 1928-1931 Kongo-Wara Rebellion ("War of the Hoe
Handle"), which was a very long time ago, putting CAR today deep into
a generational Crisis era, with a new crisis war in progress.
This war was triggered by a religious fault line between Muslims and
Christians, but it's actually an ethnic war between cattle herders,
such as ethnic Fulani, versus farmers, such as ethnic Gula and Runga.
As I've described many times in Central African Republic, Nigeria,
Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, and even America in the
1800s, is that in country after country, there a classic and recurring
battle between herders and farmers. The farmers accuse the herders of
letting the cattle eat their crops, while the herders accuse the
farmers of planting on land that's meant for grazing. If the farmers
put up fences, then the herders knock them down. ReliefWeb (1-Nov) and Médecins Sans Frontières and Reuters and UK Government
****
**** Suspicions grow about Russia's Wagner PMC mercenary group in Central African Republic
****
In July, three internationally known reporters and war correspondents
were gunned down and killed in Central African Republic after their
car was ambushed.
The three were making a documentary film for TsUR, an investigative
media center funded by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a Russian oligarth. In
2003, Khodorkovsky announced he would run against Vladimir Putin for
president. Putin destroyed Khodorkovsky, and had him jailed for life,
only letting him out in 2013 in a "humanitarian gesture" before the
Sochi Olympics.
The topic of the documentary film was the Wagner Private Military
Company (PMC), a mercenary group, sometimes known as "Putin's personal
army" that Putin uses for "dirty work" when he needs deniability, most
recently in Ukraine and Syria. In the West, Wagner is believed
responsible for the deaths of the three journalists, while Russia's
foreign ministry denies the connection.
Historically, peacekeeping efforts in CAR were led by France, which
had been the colonial power in the past. But in the past year, Russia
has been actively working to expand its influence in CAR, supplying
hundreds of weapons to the CAR army along with 175 civilian and
military instructors.
Suspicions have raised that Russians are less interested in
peacekeeping, and more interested in cutting deals with rebels and
deploying Wagner mercenaries to guard the extraction of gold, diamonds
and uranium. There had been a previous announcement that Russia and
CAR had agreed on joint "exploratory mining concessions."
France's defence minister Florence Parly said last week:
<QUOTE>"Russia has asserted its presence in the Central
African Republic in recent months, it is true, but I am not sure
that this presence and the actions deployed by Moscow, like the
agreements negotiated in Khartoum at the end of August, help to
stabilize the country."<END QUOTE>
However, Russia's foreign ministry had defended its actions against
what it said was "a certain jealousy" by other foreign powers over
Russia's role in CAR. Telegraph (London, 31-Jul) and Africa News and Reuters (17-Oct) and Telegraph (London)
Related Articles
- Violence between herders and farmers surges in Nigeria (04-Jun-2018)
- Russia gains foothold in Central African Republic, displacing France (26-May-2018)
- Central African Republic war morphs from religious to ethnic war (01-Mar-2017)
- France pulls out of Central African Republic as sectarian violence grows (01-Nov-2016)
- Mob rule in Central African Republic as Christians crave revenge (20-Jan-2014)
- Putin announces that Mikhail Khodorkovsky will be freed (20-Dec-2013)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Central African Republic, CAR, Bangui,
Batangafo, Bambari, François Bozizé, Michel Djotodia,
Séléka, anti-Balaka, Fulani, Gula, Runga,
Kongo-Wara Rebellion, War of the Hoe Handle,
Doctors Without Borders, Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF,
Pope Francis, Jonathan Allen,
Russia, Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, TsUR,
Wagner Private MilitaryCompany, PMC, France, Florence Parly
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
