Ippy

For the city in Queensland, see Ipswich, Queensland.

Ippy is a town located in the Central African Republic prefecture of Ouaka, and is located near the geographic center of the country. It is 364 kilometers (226 miles) from the city of Bangui directly. Driving distance, however, is 496 kilometers (308 miles).

Ippy
Ippy Location in Central African Republic
Coordinates: 6°15′N 21°12′E
Country	Central African Republic
Prefecture	Ouaka
District	Ippy District
Government
• Sub-Prefect	Charles Chrysler Yombenendji[1]
• Mayor	Constant Raoul Guianikouzou[2]
Population
• Total	16,571

The Ippy has a car rental service which is popular among tourists visiting the town.

History

The Ippy Hospital was founded by American missionary Margaret Nicholl Laird with facilities including 60 beds, two operating theaters and a 1,000 English-language medical textbook library. Laird herself worked at the hospital until 1964. The hospital has been described as a "shell of its former self".^[3]

Civil war

On 22 December 2012 Séléka rebels took control of Ippy.^[4] In 2014 it was reported that Ippy was under control of Ali Darassa's UPC.^[5] On 6 October 2017 UPC, FPRC and Anti-balaka signed ceasefire in Ippy.^[6] On the 12th of December, 2017, Ippy Hospital was subject to an attack by the armed groups UPC and FPRC. Combatants fired indiscriminately on civilian personnel and patients, killing twelve men, one woman, three children, and one baby.^[7] On 29 January 2019 18 people were killed and 23 wounded when UPC fighters opened fire during funeral ceremony in Ippy^[8] On 19 February 2021 government forces took control of the town.^[9]

References

1. Oubangui Medias, Oubangui Medias. "Centrafrique : Décrets portant nomination des Gouverneurs, des Préfets et des Sous-Préfets". oubanguimedias.com. Oubangui Medias. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
2. "Ippy : des milliers de personnes dans le besoin d'aide humanitaire d'urgence". 15 February 2022.
3. Beesley, Mark. "The Bottom of the Sack: Health Service Provision in the Central African Republic" (PDF). University of Queensland. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 February 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
4. "Centrafrique : les rebelles annoncent avoir pris deux nouvelles villes". 23 December 2012.
5. Mapping Conflict Motives: The Central African Republic, 24 November 2014
6. Quarter 3 Brief: July–September 2017
7. "MINUSCA strongly condemns attack by the UPC and FPRC armed groups on hospital in Ippy Ouaka prefecture".
8. "UN says 18 killed in Central African Republic attack". 29 January 2019.
9. "RCA: poursuite des offensives de l'armée nationale contre les positions des groupes armés". 19 February 2021.

6°15′N 21°12′E