Militants kill 22 Muslims in C. African Republic


Anti-Muslim militants rest at their base in the Boeing district of the Central African Republic's capital Bangui on January 16, 2014.

Sun Jan 19, 2014 12:17AM




Militants have killed 22 Muslims, including three children, and injured several others in the Central African Republic, a humanitarian group says.

The Christian militants launched grenades and used machetes against Muslim civilians being evacuated on Friday in a truck convoy in the town of Bouar, in the northwestern part of the country, Michael McCusker with Save the Children said on Saturday.

He added that at least 23 people, including children, were injured in the attack on the convoy that was carrying mostly Muslim families from the village of Vakap to neighboring Cameroon.
"It is a sign of the still fraught and highly dangerous situation in the Central African Republic that children and their families have been attacked and killed while trying to evacuate to safety," said Robert Lankenau, the group's director in the country.
The Central African Republic spiraled into chaos in March 2013 when Seleka fighters overthrew President Francois Bozizé and brought Both Djotodia to power. Bozizé fled the country after his ouster.

On September 13, 2013, Djotodia dissolved the Seleka coalition. Some of the rebels later joined the country’s regular army while some defied.

Djotodia and former Prime Minister Nicolas Tiengaye resigned on January 10 due to intense pressure over the government's failure to contain unprecedented levels of violence in the country.

According to reports, more than 1,000 people were killed in last December alone. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says nearly one million people have been displaced due to the violence.

France invaded its former colony on December 5, 2013, after the UN Security Council adopted a resolution giving the African Union and France the go-ahead to send troops to the country.

France has deployed 1,600 troops in the country, but the UN-backed intervention force, which includes about 4,000 African Union peacekeepers, is struggling to restore security in the African Republic.

Paris claims the aim of the mission is to create stability in the country in order to allow humanitarian aid to reach violence-hit areas.

There are many mineral resources, including gold and diamond, in the Central African Republic. However, the country is extremely poor and has faced a series of rebellions and coups since it gained independence in 1960.

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