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| CAR violence: Many dead in Bangui as UN votes for French force | CAR violence: Many dead in Bangui as UN votes for French force |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Dozens of people - possibly as many as 60 or more - have been killed in fierce fighting in the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), Bangui. | Dozens of people - possibly as many as 60 or more - have been killed in fierce fighting in the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), Bangui. |
| The city was reportedly attacked by supporters of Francois Bozize, who was ousted as president by rebels in March, plunging the country into chaos. | The city was reportedly attacked by supporters of Francois Bozize, who was ousted as president by rebels in March, plunging the country into chaos. |
| The UN Security Council has just voted to allow French troops to join an African peacekeeping force in CAR. | The UN Security Council has just voted to allow French troops to join an African peacekeeping force in CAR. |
| About 10% of CAR's 4.6 million people have fled their homes, the UN says. | About 10% of CAR's 4.6 million people have fled their homes, the UN says. |
| The Security Council resolution also imposed an arms embargo and asked the UN to prepare for a possible peacekeeping mission of its own. | |
| About 250 French troops are already in Bangui, out of a force expected to number 600 in total. | |
| Danger | |
| The BBC's Andrew Harding, in Bangui, reported seeing many people lying wounded in the halls of a hospital. | |
| He also said reports were coming in that at least 60 people had been killed in the city. Journalists for the AFP news agency said about 80 bodies had been found in a mosque and in the streets. | |
| Our correspondent says the violence in the CAR is increasingly pitting Christians against Muslims. | |
| Law and order broke down there after Mr Bozize was ousted by Michel Djotodia, who installed himself as the first Muslim leader in the Christian-majority country. | |
| Mr Djotodia has officially disbanded his Seleka rebel group and integrated some of them into the army but correspondents say it is often not clear who is in charge, even in the capital. | |
| The UN special representative in the CAR, Babacar Gaye, told the BBC there was a danger of mass killings in Bangui if nothing was done to stop the violence. | |
| "Today something very worrisome happened because a group... attacked the town. | |
| "We don't know the size, but what we know is that within ex-Seleka [rebels], casualties have been observed including commanding officers and we know that downtown, unfortunately, targeted violence is ongoing, so we are in a very bad situation," Mr Gaye said. | |
| Our correspondent says Bangui is quieter than it was when the fighting began on Thursday morning, with only the occasional burst of gunfire. | |
| He says the attack looks like an attempt to change the balance of power before the French intervene but for now, Seleka forces remain in control. |