BANGUI -- A minister in Central African Republic's transitional government was kidnapped Sunday by armed men believed to belong to the Christian anti-Balaka militia group, his wife said.
Sports Minister Armel Mingatoloum Sayo was on his way home from church when his car was accosted in Bangui's Galabadja neighbourhood by fighters in an unmarked taxi, said Nicaise Danielle Sayo, who was in the car with her husband.
"They instructed us to stop ... They pulled him from his vehicle to put him in their car to head to Boy-Rabe, their stronghold," she said.
Central African Republic was hit by unprecedented sectarian violence about a year ago when the anti-Balaka militia moved to oust the mostly Muslim Seleka rebel coalition, which had taken control of the country. Both sides have been accused of widespread human rights abuses.
Seleka's leader, who was installed as head of state in 2013, stepped down under intense international pressure in early 2014 and a transitional government is currently trying to steer the country to elections.
Last week, anti-Balaka fighters kidnapped a Kurdish female U.N. staffer as well as a French aid worker and her Central African colleague. All three were eventually released.
The rare kidnappings targeting foreigners came after a widely feared anti-Balaka commander, Rodrigue Ngaibona, was arrested.
