A Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) staff member died on Saturday 28 May after being shot three times by a member of the armed forces of the Central African Republic (CAR) in the northwestern prefecture of Ouham. MSF condemns this incident in the strongest possible terms and calls on the authorities to clarify the circumstances that led to the killing of our colleague.

Mahamat Ahamat, 46, worked with MSF as a medicine dispenser in the town of Moyenne-Sido since 2010. He was off-duty and at home when the incident occurred at around six in the morning. The exact circumstances are still to be clarified, but we know that Mahamat was shot three times, and died of his wounds in Kabo hospital a few hours later.

Mahamat leaves behind a wife and four children. MSF has shared our condolences with his family and we are offering all necessary assistance at this extremely difficult time. We are also engaging with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Defense, and other relevant authorities to understand the circumstances leading to this unacceptable situation.

The tragic death of our colleague is a horrible reminder of the ongoing brutal conflict affecting people in CAR. It is essential that civilians, as well as humanitarian and medical workers, patients, and health structures, are respected and spared by parties to the ongoing conflict.