BANGUI. – Three European journalists were killed overnight in Central African Republic (CAR) by unidentified assailants who ambushed their vehicle, the mayor of the nearest town said yesterday. Henri Depele, the mayor of Sibut, around 200 km northeast of the capital Bangui, said two Russian and one Ukrainian were killed at around 10 pm (2100 GMT).
Their driver survived the attack.
“According to the driver’s explanations, when they were 23 kilometres from Sibut . . . armed men emerged from the bush and opened fire on the vehicle. The three journalists died instantly,” he said. CAR’s presidential spokesman Albert Yaloke Mokpeme said the bodies of three people “of European appearance” had been found near Sibut by the army but that he did not know their nationality or profession.
CAR has been ravaged by militia violence since a 2013 rebellion overthrew then-President Francois Bozize. – Reuters.



