Historic trial opens old wounds in Central African Republic town The town on Bangassou in southeastern Central African Republic was relatively spared by a civil war which erupted in 2013, but its years of comparative peace ended in May 2017, when so-called anti-balaka militiamen, drawn mainly from Christian communities, slaughtered at least 72 Muslim civilians and 12 UN peacekeepers and besieged nearly 2,000 other Muslims. Earlier this month five anti-balaka chiefs were sentenced to forced labour for life after being convicted of crimes against humanity in a court in Bangui, the capital. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES