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Attacks by armed rebels closed more than 14 percent of polling stations during Sunday’s presidential and legislative elections.
More than 14 percent of polling stations in the Central African Republic (CAR) failed to function during Sunday’s presidential and legislative elections due to armed rebels attacking voters and banning election staff, the election commission said.
About 800 of a total of 5,408 polling stations across the country did not open, Theophile Momokouama, an executive with the electoral authority, said at a news conference in Bangui on Monday.
“There were localities where voters were brutalized, threatened with death. The deployment of electoral personnel to the field was prohibited, ”Momokouama said.
Evariste Mongo, a member of the local administration, said on Monday that the attacks occurred in the western cities of Carnot, Nola and Bambari. No injuries were reported.
Waves of violence
The 4.7 million diamond and gold rich nation has struggled to stabilize due to successive waves of violence since 2013 that have killed thousands and forced more than a million from their homes.
“As of today, we do not know the proportion of Central Africans who were able to vote,” Momokouama said.
He said the commission was awaiting the results from the regions for collation. The commission would then send the provisional results to the constitutional court, which will publish them.
The election campaign was marred by threats from armed rebel groups who promised to march to the capital and disrupt the vote after several candidates, including former President Francois Bozize, were unable to run.
The security forces, with the help of more than 12,000 United Nations peacekeepers and the reinforcement of partners Russia and Rwanda, managed to defend themselves from attacks in the capital and some cities, but the rebels were able to stop the voting in some areas of a sparsely populated country over France.
On Friday, three members of the UN peacekeepers were killed following an attack on national security forces and the MINUSCA mission in Dekoa, Kemo prefecture and Bakouma in Mbomou prefecture.
Security Minister Henri Wanzet-Linguissara told the press conference that some rebel groups were assisted by foreign mercenaries, allowing them to take control of some cities.
In Bouar, about 270 miles (435 kilometers) northwest of the capital, where heavy gunfire prevented voting, terrified residents were still hiding in their homes Monday.
“The armed groups are still close to the town. Yesterday was very difficult for us. We couldn’t vote. They looted the polling stations. For now, the city is almost empty, ”said a resident by phone.
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