December 3, 2009: In the southeast, increasing bandit attacks, especially kidnappings, are scaring away foreign aid NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations). It's also happening across the border in Central African Republic. There is a UN peacekeeping operation in Central African Republic. But, like the one in Chad, it is less than half strength (2,115 our of 5,000). The troops can't keep the bandits at bay.

When the foreign aid workers are forced out, locals are forced to fill in, if they have the skills. Locals with medical and technical skills are usually not available, meaning that many services just disappear. Food gets in, but using just the locals means more of it is lost to corruption or mismanagement. But there are several thousand foreign aid NGO workers in Chad and Central African Republic, and the bandits believe they can get big ransoms for kidnapping them. The bandits also steal and extort a lot.

There's a growing food shortage in Central African Republic (CAR) because of LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) rebels being chased into CAR from Uganda. The LRA terrorizes local villagers and has driven thousands of farmers from their lands, increasing the food shortages in CAR.  LRA also kidnaps people, and turns them into slaves (some are eventually turned into fighters for the group). This terrifies CAR civilians, who have more incentive to flee if it's believed that LRA groups are in the area.

November 26, 2009:  In CAR, CPJP rebels drove troops out of the northern town of Ndele, but the next day, the army came back with reinforcements and drove the rebels back into the bush. At least a dozen people were killed in all this, most of them rebels. The CPJP only appeared earlier this year, one of what seems to be an endless supply of tribe based rebel groups that are unwilling to submit to any national government (which tend to be run by corrupt and inefficient warlords.)