Children for ransom
The week's news at a glance.
Bangui, Central African Republic
Armed gangs in the lawless northern region of the Central African Republic are seizing local children and demanding ransoms from their parents, Amnesty International said this week. Many families have paid up to $4,000 dollars for their kids, and some parents have had their children kidnapped as many as seven times. An unknown number of children have been killed. Amnesty said criminal gangs are taking advantage of the chaos that has long gripped the area, where rebel groups and government soldiers are battling for control. “News is clearly spreading to criminal elements that they can have free reign,” said Amnesty researcher Godfrey Byaruhanga. “There is almost a total lack of any authority.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
5 high rating cartoons about Biden's low poll numbers
Cartoons Artists take on checklists, ice creams, and more
By The Week US Published
-
A gastronomic tour of the Costa de la Luz
The Week Recommends This Spanish spot has fantastic restaurants "rooted in the region's distinctive produce"
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: May 19, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published