The dogs of war let rip - keeping an eye on PR

Reprisal and Revenge | A year after the coup in Bangui.

A Maze of rutted roads and alleys takes you to anti-balaka leader Patrick Edouard Ngaissona's lair on the outskirts of Bangui.

The suburb is the stronghold of supporters of ousted Central African Republic (CAR) president François Boziz é, who was overthrown by Seleka rebels a year ago tomorrow in a coup in which 15 South African soldiers died.

Ngaissona is the leader of the anti-balaka (anti-machete, or anti-bullet) movement, which has taken over from the Seleka - and has been accused of the worst atrocities in Africa since the Rwandan genocide.

Since the coup on March 24 last year, the country has descended into chaos.

Human rights groups have documented how Seleka rebels spread terror, raped, massacred and looted, in some cases aided by local Muslims.

Attacks on Muslims by anti-balaka, including public cannibalism and body mutilation, amount to ethnic cleansing.

After the blood-letting in December, when anti-balaka attacks on Seleka bases led to reprisals that left almost 1000 dead in two days, a form of order is maintained by a 6000-strong African peacekeeping force known as Misca, and 1600 French troops called Sangaris.

At night there are clashes, some deadly, between anti-balaka and Muslims around a Muslim enclave called PK5.

There are about 10000 anti-balaka fighters in the country. According to the anti-balaka, more than a third are former or current soldiers of the Central African Republic army, known by its French acronym, FACA.

Ngaissona rejects claims of atrocities.

"Today, we retaliate and you call it atrocities. Was what the Seleka did not atrocities?" he said.

"Yesterday a FACA guy had his throat slit by a Muslim. Nobody talks about that. Is he a chicken, or is he a man?"

Even though 80% of the CAR's Muslims have either fled or are dead, and thousands are still trapped in enclaves dotting the country, he insists the anti-balaka are not intent on ethnic cleansing.

"We are a self-defence group. We only target those with guns who want to kill us, and the Seleka trying to force the population to convert to Islam."

Ngaissona denies that Bozizé is the hidden hand behind the anti-balaka.

"I don't have his number. I don't call him and he doesn't call me," he said. "I came back to my country to stop the violence."

But, by his own admission, the anti-balaka were formed after a gruesome incident near Bozizé's home village north of Bangui, from which Ngaissona hails.

"The Seleka gathered all the elderly of the village in one house and set it alight. They burned them alive," he said. The remaining villagers fled.

The interim government of President Catherine Samba-Panza and the commander of French peacekeeping troops, General Francisco Soriano, describe the anti-balaka as "outlaws".

"The government is refusing to negotiate with us," said Ngaissona, whose group forced Seleka leader Michel Djotodia out of the country.

"That's why they will never find a solution. We will support a leader that is good for the country - even Panza. But she must understand that peace will come from Central Africans themselves through dialogue, not from foreign troops shooting our people."

The anti-balaka camp lies at the other end of town in the suburb of Boeing, near the airport. "Welcome. My name is Barack Obama," said a fighter in military garb.

Another carries an improvised weapon consisting of a bullet held by a pair of pliers with a nail used as a firing pin.

Jules Yamaka, a sergeant in the Central African army, spent nine months at the infantry school in Oudtshoorn. He fondly recalls his stint in South Africa. "I went to bars, making love with the girls. It was very nice. The army is like an American army - it's formidable."

Congolese soldiers who joined the anti-balaka were "very angry" at how South African troops died, bearing the brunt of the Seleka attack last year.

"I was trained by them. I have many friends in South Africa. Lieutenant Malgas. Lieutenant Serfontein. They [South African soldiers] were the first to fight and the first to fall. I want them to come back. Together we will get revenge," said a soldier.

Sebastien Wenezoui of the anti-balaka said his fighters converged on Bangui from different parts of the country to rid it of "foreign mercenaries".

But he added ominously: "If my men go to PK5, it will be a genocide. They will kill all the Muslims living there - babies, wives, even the dogs. That's what we don't want."

Two French armoured vehicles appear in the bush and soldiers pile out. Suddenly, the anti-balaka are scrambling to hide their knives, machetes and home-made weapons. There is no more talk of genocide.

hofstatters@sundaytimes.co.za