Marcus Bleasdale
Best published photographic reporting from abroad requiring exceptional courage and enterprise
AWARD YEAR: 2014
AWARD NAME: The Robert Capa Gold Medal Award 2014
RECIPIENT: Marcus Bleasdale
AFFILIATION: Human Rights Watch, Foreign Policy and National Geographic Magazine
HONORED WORK: “Central African Republic Inferno”
Marcus Bleasdale viscerally captured the brutal violence in the Central African Republic at a time when the world’s attention was focused on ISIS, Ukraine and other crises. His menacing, unnerving images of chaos had a profound impact on the judges. The images place the viewer in the moment in a way that demands and holds attention.
A member of the Christian population around PK13 on the outskirts of Bangui runs through looted and burning homes of the Muslims who have fled after the Seleka President Michel Djotodia resigned and left the country in disarray The country was ruled by a minority Muslim government after the coup in March 2013. After months of oppression by the Muslim Seleka Government the local population take out their anger and frustrations on the largely innocent Muslim population.
A mother tries to protect her child from gunfire as displaced seek shelter in the compound of the FOMAC in Bossangoa as Anti Balaka and Seleka forces attack the town killing scores of people.
The sister of Vanessa mourns for her after she was shot by Muslims close to her home in Kilo 5, Bangui. Five people were killed overnight and just after this photograph was taken, her cousin was killed by Rwandan soldiers as he was killing a muslim in a revenge attack. The funeral was under fire and several people were killed as we reported on this.
Civilians in the street in Combatant quarter kill and mutilate 2 muslims as people stand around watch on. French soldiers arrived too late to assist. There are approx. 25 incidents each day in Bangui like this and reporting them is volatile and uncertain.
Body parts on the road after a lynching by FACA soldiers. After they were addressed by the president about a return to peace in the country. They then went out and lynched a suspected Muslim Seleka fighter in front of us. They killed and then burned him.
Civilians living close to the Seleka Camp Kasai celebrate as the Seleka fighters are moved out towards PK11. They have been living with the shadow of Seleka abuses for over nine months. They immediately went towards the mosque and attacked and burned all muslim property.
Anti Balaka on the road to Boda. They are going there to attack the muslim residents who remain there. Previous the muslims were protected by the Seleka but they fled leaving the civilians to their fate. Over 40 muslims have been killed in the town in 5 days and nearly 50 Christians.
A Christian market transporter is attacked by Muslims who are angered at the killing of one of their community and the injuring of another. They lynch the first non Muslim they can find. He escaped.
The body of Nana Abdul Karim 34, father of 8 children, is carried back to his home for burial. He was shot, by French soldiers, while buying breakfast for his children. They reported he was demonstrating and firing a weapon at them, but most people in this district have only bows and arrows. The community is being attacked by anti balaka and penned in by french soldiers, they are trying to flee for Chad but there are limited trucks and resources. This enclave is a dangerous place for reporting and we wwere attacked several times by anti balaka and coaugh in crossfire between french peacekeepers and the muslim civilians.
A Christian market transporter is attacked by Muslims who are angered at the killing of one of their community and the injuring of another. They lynch the first non Muslim they can find. He escaped.
A Christian lies dead seconds after being shot by Rwandan soldiers. He had just killed a muslim civilian and was dragging the body to the fire when the peacekeepers shot and killed him. He was killing the muslim in revenge for the killing of his cousin, Vanessa just minutes earlier. An example of the hatred boiling over in Bangui, the capital of CAR.
A body of a muslim man lies under the fire in PK5. He was attacked and lynched by his neighbours in revenge for the killing of a Christian woman as she made her way to church earlier that morning.
Citation for Excellence:
John Moore
Getty Images
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