Muslim Rebels Kill 30 at African Church

Islamist fighters attacked a Catholic Church in the Central African Republic with grenades and firearms, killing at least 30 people. The rebels who attacked the Church of Fatima in the capital city of Bangui came from the Seleka coalition, which was forced from power in January. The Central African Republican has been dealing with sectarian violence for the past five months, but it has mostly been Christian militia forces targeting Muslims. During this time of strife, Catholic churches have generally been considered safe spaces for both Muslims and Christians. Rev. Freddy Mboula said “We were in the church when were heard the shooting outside. There were screams and after 30 minutes of gunfire there were bodies everywhere.”