AFRICA/CENTRAL AFRICA – The Cathedral in Bambari besieged by rebels

Bangui (Agenzia Fides) - The Cathedral of Saint-Joseph in Bambari, in the area where there are more than 12,000 displaced people, is surrounded by the rebels of Seleka, said the local Bishop launching an appeal to Fides Agency (see Fides 01/07/2014).
According to local Church sources contacted by Fides Agency in the capital Bangui, "the little information we have received, there are no reports of injuries among the displaced, but it is difficult to get more information, because the phone lines with the region of Bambari are blocked".
Some agency sources claim that the siege began in the early afternoon yesterday, July 7. The attackers fired at the Cathedral complex, which includes a school and the Episcopate. According to the testimony of a priest, several people have taken refuge in the sanctuary, but some of them were reached by firearms. It seems one person died.
In the city there are the French military of the Sangaris force, who clashed with the rebels. The population has been living in tension for a week in Bambari due to the presence of the rebels of Seleka and anti-Balaka groups. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 08/07/2014)