Mainstream media reports have largely focused, as is their wont, on Muslims as victims, as if they are the innocent victims of attacks from Christians in the Central African Republic. This is not actually the case. In reality, the Muslim Seleka rebels started the violence by targeting Christians. The Christians have started fighting back and defending themselves, which for the mainstream media means they’re already way out of bounds, and anything they do is presented in the most negative possible light. This doesn’t mean they’re perfect, but it gives them very little room to maneuver, as everything they do brings down upon them a hail of international condemnations, as is the case with Israel.
“Lynching of Christian man by Muslims is sign of chaos in Central African Republic,” by Sudarsan Raghavan for the Washington Post, February 9:
He was a Christian walking in a Muslim enclave, carrying wood to sell. In these tense days, that is enough reason to die in the Central African Republic. A Muslim mob confronted Pumandele, 23, on a side street and pushed him around. Then, they threw him into a ditch. At least one man stabbed him before his throat was slit.
As the slaughter unfolded, some of his killers ordered a Washington Post journalist witnessing the attack Sunday to leave. “Allez, allez — go, go, ” one yelled, wagging his arms menacingly.
Stationed nearby was a group of Burundian peacekeepers, ordered by the United Nations to protect civilians. But they didn’t know about the killing until some men — perhaps his killers — brought Pumandele’s mutilated body past them in a wheelbarrow. They dumped his body outside the Red Cross office across from the Burundian base. And just as swiftly, Pumandele was taken to the morgue, adding to the rolls of the dead in Africa’s latest war.
At least nine other people were killed Sunday in and around the area where Pumandele died, according to human rights activists and aid agencies. Christians killed Muslims. Muslims killed Christians. Shops were burned down. Houses were looted. Bodies were burned in streets, in front of African peacekeepers. Some tried to stop the looters; others looked the other way. In all, Sunday’s events were the latest sign of the mayhem in this besieged capital, reeling from one of the worst episodes of sectarian violence on the continent in recent memory.
Pumandele was a victim of circumstance. Half an hour before he was killed, heavy gunfire erupted near the Grand Mosque, near the Red Cross office, in PK 5, one of the last remaining Muslim enclaves in the capital. Muslims accused three Christians — Pumandele and two friends — of carrying grenades and seeking to hurl them into the mosque. The Burundian soldiers took into custody two of the men, but Pumandele ran in the other direction. There were no grenades, the Burundians later said. All the youths had was fear. Pumandele simply ran the wrong way.
Within minutes, the mob had caught up with him.
Like so many deaths here, Pumandele’s end was the beginning of more sadness, more anger and possibly more violence.
At the morgue, his relatives arrived to escort his corpse back to his home. They placed his body, wrapped in a white medical sheet, inside a wheelbarrow. Then they placed a colorful African cloth over his body, as if to bring some measure of dignity to Pumandele’s last journey.
His brothers, sisters, other relatives and friends walked through the streets, behind the wheelbarrow. They cried, held hands. Others wailed.
“The Muslims did this,” one of his relatives screamed. “They cut his neck like a cow. They are going to kill all of us.”
People stepped outside their houses. Cars slowed.
As the somber procession reached Pumandele’s neighborhood, more of his friends and neighbors joined. The wailing grew louder, as did the recriminations.
“All the Muslims will die in the country,” vowed one woman, shrieking loudly.
And as Pumandele’s body arrived in his neighborhood, a dirt-poor, mostly Christian community, one man yelled, “We have to burn a Muslim and eat him.”
Pumandele’s body was taken inside his small house. His father, Gilbert, seemed confused by his son’s unexpected demise. “He’s a civilian,” he said. “He doesn’t own a gun. He doesn’t carry a knife. Why? Why?”
It was a question no one in the crowds outside could answer. They possessed only anger and blame. The war had reached their home. Pumandele, they said, was the first in their community to be killed by the sectarian violence.
Some blamed the roughly 6,500 French and African soldiers, authorized by the U.N. Security Council, for being unable to protect their community. Others blamed the nation’s politicians, whose government collapsed after a coup in March by Muslim Seleka rebels, who tormented the majority-Christian population. That prompted the rise of the anti-Balaka, Christian vigilantes who are targeting Muslims.
“We want PK5 to be completely disarmed,” said Kisito Ngoni, 38, a neighbor.
“Let’s take his body to the United Nations office,” suggested Aime Neka, 32, Pumandele’s uncle. “We’ll demonstrate there until they find a solution to the violence.”…
That’s going to be a long demonstration.

islamisdeath says
My local newspaper printed an article that stated that the muslims were having to be removed from their ancestral homes in CAR because the Christians will not allow them to stay in CAR. It went on and on about the human rights abuses inflicted on the poor old muslims by the demonic Christians. Disgusting!
Robert4 says
That article is correct.
King Dave says
Really enjoy the site:
The anti-machete like the Lord’s Resistance Army are hardly recognizable as Christians. The Central African Republic is so barbaric and lawless, it is the one place on Earth that may make a Taliban strong hold look like Disney Land. Western morality does not apply in the CAR. Joining a militia may prolong a life. The Christian anti-machete are butchering Muslims and eating their genitals. Why? Don’t ask me, some guy named “Mad Dog.” has cannibalized two Muslims.
The CAR is a clear example of how religions makes all matters of life worse.
Either way it is the peaceful Muslims and Christians who will be the next victims
Brian C. Hoff says
The white man who conquest Africa in the 19th century is to be blame for makeing articable white man border in Africa. The native people have they own tribal border going back thousand’s of year than mostly have peace. There Africian Empire by native ruler who conquest other tribe they wisely kept the old tribral borders inside they empire intact.
Richard the Lionheart says
Well spoken. you’re really Howard Zinn, anti-American, anti-Semite, marxist
Pardon me Howard, but it was the Muslims who started the African slave trade as soon as they imperialistically conquered (by the sword) North Africa. And the black African slave trade still continues to this day, mostly by Arabs (like the Arab Sudanese who have terrorized the Blacks who occupied Darfur, and have even enslaved black Africans who ARE Muslim).
chai says
Why does main stream media refer to them as anti-balaka, instead of anti-machete?
Veracious_one says
He was a Christian walking in a Muslim enclave, carrying wood to sell. In these tense days, that is enough reason to die in the Central African Republic. A Muslim mob confronted Pumandele, 23, on a side street and pushed him around. Then, they threw him into a ditch. At least one man stabbed him before his throat was slit.
In other words, Christians should quietly surrender and allow themselves to be massacred wholesale by Muslim jihadists….
Cindy Mccoy says
This a sad and sickening story. I feel so bad for these my brothers and sisters in Christ. They think America will help, little do they know that this president hates Christians and Jews. He is arming their enemies all around them. My heart breaks for the father of the young man he just could not understand why when his son was not armed. He was a sitting duck for the evil all around him. That is what we are going to be if this president has his way at taking guns away from the public. I pray God will step in and stop all this madness. He will avenge the deaths of His people. The time is coming and I believe it is coming fast!!!! Please look for the Lord Jesus while He may be found!!!!!!!
Tommo says
Meanwhile the only thought uppermost in Anglican clergy’s mind this week is the ordination of women bishops and how they are going to vote. True Christian values and pastoral care has gone clean out the window.
Geppetto says
Maybe they have found a solution to the violence. Fight back.