In Pictures
A history of violence: Growing up in CAR
A child born from rape and a young gunshot victim grow up amid CAR’s cycle of violence.
Conflict first touched Arlette and Fane in 2002 when Congolese rebels rampaged through PK12, a community on the outskirts of the Central African Republic’s capital of Bangui.
Arlette was shot in the knee, sustaining a painful wound that would not heal for another decade.
Fane was conceived when rebels repeatedly raped her mother, Amzine – a constant reminder of a brutal crime.
Before PK12 could recover from the atrocities inflicted on the community, a new conflict reached Bangui in 2013.
Fighting between Muslim Seleka rebels and Christian “Anti-balaka” militias forced both Arlette, a Christian, and Fane, a Muslim, from their homes.
Filmmaker Heidi Specogna followed Arlette, Fane and Amzine over the course of seven years for Witness: Cahier Africain.
This is their story in photos.