Seleka rebels attacked a Doctors Without Borders-run clinic in search of money, killing at least three staff members
At least 22 people, including 15 local chiefs and three members of staff of the medical charity Doctors Without Borders, were killed in an attack on Nanga Boguila, a town about 280 miles north of the capital Bangui, officials said on Sunday.
Some 2,000 French and over 5,000 African peacekeepers are struggling to halt waves of violence that have gripped the country over the last 18 months.
Gilles Xavier Nguembassa, a former member of parliament for the area, said four people were killed as the assailants approached the town but most died when Seleka rebels went to an Doctors Without Borders-run health clinic in search of money.
The attack took place while local chiefs were holding a meeting there and the gunmen opened fire when some of the chiefs tried to run away, he said. “Fifteen of the local chiefs were killed on the spot,” he told Reuters, citing witnesses with whom he spoke. A local representative of the Bangui government confirmed the incident.
A spokesman for Doctors Without Borders confirmed the deaths of its staff but gave no further details. Seleka officials were not immediately available for comment.
The full article continues at http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/4/27/rebel-attack-in-carkillsatleast22includingchiefsandmsfstaff.html on Al Jazeera America’s website.