Welcome to Bangui the capital of the Central African Republic, for the past two years the country has been torn apart by a violent religious conflict that has seen the Muslim Séléka and Christian Anti-balaka militias pitted against each other. The Séléka is a coalition of predominantly Muslim armed groups from the North-East who seized power back in March of 2013, they committed mass atrocities against the population indiscriminate of religion.

As a result of this Christians took up arms in order to form self defence groups called the Anti-balaka and began carrying out revenge killings against Muslims. Regional superstition and animist rituals are a big element of the Anti-balakas identity. They believe that through the use of black magic they can not only stop bullets but defy death in combat.

Despite the presence of a UN peace keeping mission and a French military operation the transitional government hasn’t yet been able to gain control of the country outside of Bangui. Vice News return to the region to try and understand the roots of this ongoing and brutal conflict.