Several rebel groups and bandits are spreading fear and chaos in many parts of the Central African Republic. Regular attacks on civilians are resulting in killings, abductions, rapes and looting. They are forcing people to flee their homes to find a safe haven. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced, putting pressure on already impoverished host communities.
Launching a special report on internally displaced people (IDPs), the ICRC points out that an estimated 26 million people had fled their homes as a result of armed conflict by the end of 2008.*
Since fighting intensified in eastern Congo in August 2008 between government troops and armed opposition groups, the number of opposition groups, the number of cases of rape and other sexual abuse against civilians has been increasing.