Civilians begin returning to Bangui

With Central African Republic (CAR) government forces of President Ange-Felix Patasse back in “full control of the situation” in the capital, as confirmed by the French embassy in Bangui on Thursday, an increasing stream of residents who fled a failed coup attempt were returning to the city. NGO sources in Bangui told IRIN that an estimated minimum of 50,000 displaced people are in urgent need of food and medical attention, while the BBC reported that staple foods such as rice and cassava have gone up three times in price as food shortages worsen in the city. Meanwhile, the Department of Health began counting and clearing up bodies scattered in the streets, some burned with petrol by residents trying to stop the odour of decomposition and to prevent the spread of disease, according to Reuters. Unofficial death toll estimates of the 11-day ordeal range between 250 to 300 lives lost. [For full story, see IRIN report of 8 June headlined “CAR: Coup thwarted, civilians begin returning to Bangui”]