Capital Bangu, Central African Republic under gunfire

Gunshots and blasts from heavy weapons rang out across several districts of the Central African Republic (CAR) capital Bangui on Thursday morning, ahead of a crucial UN vote on sending additional troo

Gunshots and blasts from heavy weapons rang out across several districts of the Central African Republic (CAR) capital Bangui on Thursday morning, ahead of a crucial UN vote on sending additional troops to the country in an effort to put an end to increasing Muslim-Christian violence.

On November 14 already the United States of America and other countries urged their citizens to leave the country. The US State Department travel warning reads: The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all travel to the Central African Republic (CAR) and recommends that those who remain in CAR depart immediately by taking advantage of existing commercial flights. U.S. citizens who have decided to stay in CAR despite this warning should review their personal security situation and seriously consider departing.

This is the the latest sign of increasing violence in the country. It comes ahead of a UN vote on sending additional French and African troops to CAR to prevent further bloodshed.

The automatic gunfire, the origin of which was not immediately clear, started around 5:30 a.m. (0430 GMT) in the PK-12 area in the north of Bangui, and then spread to other neighbourhoods not far from the city centre.

The streets of the capital were otherwise deserted at around 6 a.m., as an overnight curfew came to an end.

The incidents came ahead of a UN Security Council vote Thursday on a resolution put forward by France that would authorise the deployment of an African Union-led force in the poor, landlocked country for a year in order to protect civilians and restore security and public order.

It also would authorise French forces, for a temporary period, โ€œto take all necessary measuresโ€ to support the AU-led force known as MISCA, whose troop numbers are expected to rise from about 2,500 to 3,500.

Franceโ€™s UN Ambassador Gerard Araud has said he expects the council to approve the resolution.

France promised last week to send 1,000 troops to the Central African Republic following a warning from French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius that the former French colony โ€œis on the verge of genocideโ€. The Defense Ministry has said about 600 troops are already in the country.

The proposed resolution welcomes Secretary-General Ban Ki-moonโ€™s intention to prepare for the possible transformation of MISCA into a UN peacekeeping operation. It asks the UN chief to provide recommendations for the possible transformation within three months.

The draft resolution would also impose an arms embargo on the Central African Republic for a year and order all countries to ban the sale or transfer of arms, ammunition, military equipment, spare parts and technical assistance and training.

The countryโ€™s descent into chaos started late last year when rebel groups joined forces to form the coalition known as Seleka. In March, the rebels overthrew the president and installed their own leader.

But President Michel Djotodia now exerts little control over the renegade fighters in the provinces, most of whom are Muslim and are accused of committing atrocities including murder, rape and forcibly recruiting child soldiers.

In response, members of the countryโ€™s majority Christian population have formed their own militia forces, known as anti-balaka, that have been responsible for attacks on Muslims.

A group of Christian vigilantes were blamed this week for the slaughter of 12 Muslim herders, who were hacked to death with machetes in an attack in the town of Boali, around 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of the capital, on Monday.

“Among the victims were children and a disembowelled pregnant woman,” a military source told AFP, adding that at least ten other children were hospitalised in Bangui with deep gashes.

Speaking to the FRANCE 24 on Wednesday, CAR Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye condemned the Boali massacre as “horrible and heinous”.

“The government condemns all violence,” he said, adding that “in recent days, there had been a surge in such unrest, particularly in the provinces.”

The prime minister said that around ten thousand international troops were needed to bring stability to the country.

His comments followed a warning from the International Crisis Group think tank on Monday, which warned that the situation on the ground is deteriorating at a much faster pace than the international response is mobilising. It added that the Central African Republic is staring โ€œinto an abyss of potentially appalling proportionsโ€.

The crisis group supported AU and French military action and called for immediate inter-religious dialogue and urgent reconstruction projects.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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