New York, May 13, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for an immediate investigation into the death of French freelance photojournalist Camille Lepage, 26, in the Central African Republic. In a statement issued today, the French government said that French troops had discovered Lepage’s body in a vehicle driven by fighters of the anti-Balaka Christian militia, according to news reports.
“We call on the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic as well as French authorities to ensure a thorough investigation into Camille Lepage’s death,” said CPJ Africa Advocacy Coordinator Mohamed Keita.
Lepage’s work has been featured by the Guardian, Le Monde, the Sunday Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the BBC. In her last tweet on May 6, Lepage said she was traveling with and reporting on the anti-Balaka fighters. Clashes between various rebel groups and government forces have led to increased violence in recent months, according to news reports.