In the first of a two-part feature, war correspondent and Africa specialist Al J Venter reports from Bangui in the Central African Republic on the ongoing conflict in the region – now in its seventh year – and one in which air power is playing an important part.
Every African war has its irregularities and the ongoing Libyan conflict is a case in point, where the front line changes almost weekly. Another is the insurrection in the Central African Republic (CAR), which the author covered from the main operational base adjacent to the country’s only international airport in Bangui in September. While there, I needed to go into town, in part to assess for myself the political situation. No simple matter, I was told. Such a journey would take time to organise, which I thought odd since the city centre was a Level 6-rated armoured vehicles with doors weighing a quarter of a ton each and armoured windows almost an inch thick, plus an eight-man escort in case of ambush.
The latter was perhaps just as well; at one essential stop in the heart of town the entire contingent dismounted and took up defensive positions as an unidentified armed group approached. Similar restrictions apply to aircr…
