Soldier kills four colleagues, commits suicide

A Rwandan soldier serving with the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic shot dead four Rwandan troops and wounded eight others on Saturday before committing suicide, according to the Rwandan Defence Ministry.

The incident occurred at around 5:45 a.m. (0445 GMT) at the Rwandan battalion’s headquarters in the capital Bangui.

“Investigations have immediately commenced to establish the motive behind this deplorable shooting,” spokesman Brigadier General Joseph Nzabamwita said. “We suspect terrorism, without ruling out mental illness as the cause.”

The statement said the injured soldiers had immediately been transported to a hospital in Bangui for treatment.

Central African Republic descended into chaos in March 2013 when predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power, triggering reprisals by “anti-balaka” Christian militias who drove tens of thousands of Muslims from the south in a de facto partition.

The U.N. mission in Central African Republic, known as MINUSCA, was deployed to shore up the precarious stability established under a transitional government.