Armed men in Central African Republic fatally shoot 13 and wound 2 in northern village

By JEAN FERNAND KOENA
Associated Press

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Local officials say that unidentified armed men killed 13 people and wounded two in a northern village in the mineral-rich but impoverished Central African Republic. A tribal chief in the village of Diki near the country’s border with Chad, said a group of armed men entered the community Tuesday and called a meeting with local residents and leaders, before shooting them point-blank. The Central African Republic has faced intercommunal fighting since 2013, when predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power and forced then-President Francois Bozize from office. Majority-Christian militias later fought back, also targeting civilians in the streets. The United Nations, which has a peacekeeping mission in the country, estimates the fighting has killed thousands.