Central African Republic peacekeepers save Muslim group from violent crowd
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Version 0 of 1. African peacekeepers were forced to intervene in the Central African Republic on Thursday to disperse a crowd waiting to attack a group of Muslims who had taken refuge in a church compound. Several thousand people stood by on Thursday as a group of men threw large rocks trying to break into the compound of the Saint-Jacques church in Bangui. They were looking for an ex-rebel general they believed to be inside. They chanted: "Kill him! Kill him!" as others placed a large felled tree in front of the gate to prevent people escaping the refuge. "He has attacked everyone and is responsible for many abuses here in Bangui," said Jonny Clevar, 18, as he and his friends stood near the entrance to the church. "We want to kill him." The crowd hurled rocks at the peacekeepers and their vehicles, dispersing after shots were fired. Several men dressed in civilian clothing were then removed from the church compound. Alongside 1,600 French soldiers, the peacekeeping forces are seeking to stabilise the country after more than 500 people were killed last week. In March, an alliance of mostly Muslim rebels from the north removed the country's Christian president in a coup that brought President Michel Djotodia to power. Known as the Seleka, they have since been accused of carrying out scores of attacks on civilians. Suspected Seleka members have come under increasing threat in Bangui since bloodshed started in the capital on 5 December. Earlier this week a crowd stoned to death a suspected Seleka member in front of his house and then set his two cars ablaze as onlookers watched. Two French soldiers were killed earlier this week when they came under attack from gunmen near the city's airport. There are an estimated 3,000 to 8,000 armed militia members belonging to diverse alliances in Bangui. Most have abided by calls by the French and African forces to hand in their weapons or return to their barracks, said a French military spokesman. "The number of weapons circulating has dropped significantly in Bangui," he said in Paris on Thursday. "What remains is a certain number of individuals prone to carrying them or hiding them. It will take time to try to find these people and the weapons caches." Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |