On the road which leads into N'Djaména from Moundou, the gathering of
materials and construction for President Idriss Déby Itno's housing
complex project (logements sociaux) has really taken off. Trucks
carrying cement, plywood and other building materials are arriving by
the hundreds, and the materials are beaing unloaded and transported to
several sites. In the distance overlooking the road where these
materials are arriving, one can see some of the housing complexes going
up. The buildings are simple but solid; a few of them already have the
roof and the second floor up, despite the rainy season which could have
potentially hindered progress on them. Each housing complex appears to
be able to hold at least twenty families comfortably, and seems to be
employing hundreds, perhaps thousands, of construction workers.
Please pray that the infrastructure required for these buildings would
be well-built, and that the communities built around these homes would
be peaceful places which God can bless.
Central African Republic rebels seize Birao town
Rebels in the Central African Republic have taken over the town of Birao after heavy fighting with the army, a UN official has told the BBC.
The CPJP rebels have seized key strategic places including the armed forces' command base and the airport.
Birao had been under UN guard since June but the peace mission ended two weeks ago.
No casualty figures have been released but one humanitarian worker was killed during the attack, the official said.
The head of the UN humanitarian agency in CAR, Jean-Sebastien Munie said a large number of rebels led the attack on Thursday.
"The rebels' attack took the national forces by surprise."
The CPJP rebels are the only militia which remains outside the country's peace process.
Birao lies in a highly unstable region near the borders with Sudan and Chad, both of which have several rebel groups of their own.
