A group of anti-balaka militiamen pose for a photograph on the outskirts of Bangui January 15, 2014. REUTERS/Siegfried Modola/
CONFLICT
Anti-Balaka General Killed by Russian Mercenaries in the Central African Republic
Jose Befio, a General of the anti-balaka alliance in the Central African Republic's (CAR) Bouca locality, was killed alongside his Deputy General in a joint operation between the country's armed forces (FACA) and Russian mercenaries. In Sango, 'Balaka' means 'machete' with 'anti-balaka' meaning 'invincible.' There is relatively little known about the anti-balaka milita, whose members comprise of those resisting Seleka (meaning alliance in Sango) forces.