AlQa'dah 3, 1434, Sep 9, 2013, SPA -- Armed men from a little-known group that locals call Anti Machete on Monday opened fire on civilians in the northern Central African Republic, killing at least four people, according to dpa. The exact number of dead and injured in the town of Bouca, a couple of hundred kilometres north of the capital, Bangui, remained unknown Monday afternoon. "The shooting began at 5 am. The population fled. I saw this morning four bodies on the ground before hiding in the bush," a resident told dpa. According to witnesses, the northern towns of Bouca and Bossangoa, as well as the surrounding villages, are currently under the control of Anti Balaka, which means Anti Machete. The identity or mission of the group is not known. At least 60 people, including four soldiers, were killed in and around Bossangoa over the past two days, presidential spokesman Guy Simplice Kodegue told journalists on Monday. Two staff members of international aid organization Acted were also among the dead, Kodegue said. President Michel Djotodia has been struggling to restore law and order in CAR, despite the support of more than 3500 African Union peacekeepers. CAR has been plunged into a humanitarian crisis since Djotodia's Seleka coalition rose up against the government in December and overthrew president Francois Bozize in March. The former rebel leader was installed as president on August 18, five months after seizing power in the land-locked country rich in diamonds and gold.
