Bria, Central African Republic
Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox settlement Bria is the capital of Haute-Kotto, one of the 14 prefectures of the Central African Republic. As of the 2003 census the town had a population of 35,204.
Geography
Bria is located on the Kotto River.
History
In 1930, a ginning factory was established in Bria by the Comouna cotton company.
Civil war
On 18 December 2012 Bria was captured by Séléka rebels.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 21 November 2016 an armed conflict broke out between the ethnicities Gula and Peuhl representing different armed groups resulting in death of 92 people, many more injured and 12000 refugees around the UN camp outside the city.
On 18 May 2017 heavy clashes erupted between Anti-balaka and ex-Seleka in Bria resulting in 26 deaths.<ref>CAR: Clashes break out in Bria (northeast) May 18-19</ref> On 21 June 2017 clashes between rival factions resulting in death of around 100 people.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 4 December 2017 Anti-balaka fighters led by Jean-Francis Diandi attacked international forces in Bria killing one Mauritanian peacekeeper.<ref>Leader Of Anti-Balaka Militia In Central Africa Republic Arrested By UN Peacekeepers, 22 March 2018</ref> On 16 March 2018 Jean-Francis Diandi was arrested by peacekeepers.<ref>RCA : Ramazani, le chef milicien Anti-Balaka de Bria, libéré de Ngaragba, rejoint le CPC, 17 March 2021</ref> On 6 September 2018 Séléka rebels killed a number of people, most of them women.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On 25–6 January 2020 the MLCJ attacked Bria capturing more than 60% of the city after 24 hours of clashes with FPRC.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 28 January both groups signed ceasefire promising to withdraw fighters from parts of the town.<ref>RCA : un accord de cessez-le-feu à Bria, les groupes armés s’engagent à retirer leurs troupes, 28 January 2020</ref> On 22 March 2021 Bria was recaptured by government forces.<ref>Félicitations à nos militaires et aux alliés qui ont pris le contrôle de Bria, chef lieu de la Prefecture de la Haute Kotto., Ngrebada Firmin, 22 March 2021</ref> One FPRC fighter was killed.<ref>RCA : retour au calme à Bria après une journée de tension, 22 March 2021</ref> On 2 April rebels launched attack on Bria which was repelled, two rebels and one soldier were killed.<ref>RCA : violente attaque des positions des soldats FACA à l’entrée de Bria par les rebelles du CPC, 2 April 2021</ref>
Since 15 December 2021, Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group have arrested numerous people – mainly youths – inside the town, leading to reported human rights abuses.Template:Anchor On 4 January, the Wagner Group shot and killed 4 youths in a massacre. At 5:00 P.M. mercenaries entered the local mosque and removed the corpses of their victims from the building.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Climate
Bria has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw), with a lengthy though not intense wet season from mid-March to October and a relatively short and mostly rainless dry season from November to mid-March. Although the wet season is longer than the dry season, the dry season is sufficiently dry and the wet season insufficiently wet for tropical monsoon classification.Template:Fact
Infrastructure
See also
References
Template:Coord Template:Haute-Kotto Template:Sub-prefectures of the Central African Republic