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African Union to boost Central African Republic force | African Union to boost Central African Republic force |
(about 3 hours later) | |
The African Union has authorised increasing the number of troops deployed in the Central African Republic to 6,000, say officials. | The African Union has authorised increasing the number of troops deployed in the Central African Republic to 6,000, say officials. |
CAR fell into sectarian conflict after rebel leader Michel Djotodia ousted President Francois Bozize in March. | |
The AU troops are attempting to restore order and disarm the militia which now control much of the country. | |
France's defence minister has warned the country is facing "the early beginnings of a humanitarian crisis". | France's defence minister has warned the country is facing "the early beginnings of a humanitarian crisis". |
Jean-Yves Le Drian was in the CAR capital, Bangui, on Friday to meet some of the 1,600 French troops deployed there, and to hold talks with officials. | |
He said the "spiral of confrontation has abruptly worsened". | |
France is the former colonial power in CAR, which is one of the world's poorest countries. Two French soldiers have died in fighting. | |
El Ghassim Wane, director of the AU's Peace and Security Department, (PSC) told Reuters that approval had been given to increase troop numbers to 6,000 "depending on the needs". | El Ghassim Wane, director of the AU's Peace and Security Department, (PSC) told Reuters that approval had been given to increase troop numbers to 6,000 "depending on the needs". |
He said the PSC would review the situation again in three months. | He said the PSC would review the situation again in three months. |
'Firing everywhere' | 'Firing everywhere' |
Mr Djotodia, formerly the leader of the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel alliance, installed himself as the first Muslim leader in the Christian-majority country in March. | Mr Djotodia, formerly the leader of the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel alliance, installed himself as the first Muslim leader in the Christian-majority country in March. |
Seleka has now been officially disbanded but its fighters remain at large and are accused of atrocities against Christians. | |
Christian self-defence militias have since sprung up and the country has spiralled into sectarian conflict. | |
More than 500 people have been killed in the capital alone in the past week and an estimated 10% of the CAR's 4.6 million people have fled their homes. | |
Intense clashes were reported in several districts of Bangui on Friday. French soldiers were involved in at least one exchange of fire with former rebels. | |
"It was horrible. There was firing everywhere," a Bangui resident who gave her name as Jennifer told the AFP news agency. | "It was horrible. There was firing everywhere," a Bangui resident who gave her name as Jennifer told the AFP news agency. |
"I don't know who it was, I didn't try to see if it was Seleka, the French or someone else. It lasted a long time." | "I don't know who it was, I didn't try to see if it was Seleka, the French or someone else. It lasted a long time." |
The UN reports that 27 Muslims were killed in the village of Bohong, not far from CAR's western border with Cameroon, on Thursday by the anti-Balaka Christian militia. | |
"The situation is also tense in several towns, including Bouca, Bossangoa and Bozoum, where a vicious cycle of attacks and reprisals continues," the UN's human rights office said. | |
CAR Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye has warned there is an urgent need to disarm all sides. | CAR Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye has warned there is an urgent need to disarm all sides. |
"Religious communities that have always lived together in perfect harmony are now massacring each other," the Associated Press quotes him as saying. | "Religious communities that have always lived together in perfect harmony are now massacring each other," the Associated Press quotes him as saying. |
"The situation must be stopped as soon as possible." | "The situation must be stopped as soon as possible." |
Save the Children has said it is treating children as young as three for machete and gunshot wounds, and has urged the UN to deploy in the more remote regions. | |
The charity also said some 6,000 children had been conscripted into armed groups in CAR. | |
UN criticised | UN criticised |
The first of 850 Burundian troops operating under the AU mission flew into Bangui on Friday on a US military aircraft. | The first of 850 Burundian troops operating under the AU mission flew into Bangui on Friday on a US military aircraft. |
Their commander, Lt-Col Potien Hakizimana, said their mission included "ensuring the disarmament of militia forces, securing the population and property, and help restore authority over the entire country". | Their commander, Lt-Col Potien Hakizimana, said their mission included "ensuring the disarmament of militia forces, securing the population and property, and help restore authority over the entire country". |
A plane carrying 77 tonnes of aid was due to land in Bangui on Friday afternoon, but aid agencies say the humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating. | |
In an open letter published on Thursday, MSF criticised "the unacceptable performance of the United Nations humanitarian system in the Central African Republic over the last year". | |
MSF's general director Arjan Hehenkamp told the BBC on Friday that the UN appeared to have gone into "security lockdown" despite the ongoing crisis. | |
"There needs to be a dramatic scale up of assistance and presence throughout the country in order to give confidence to the population, but primarily to give assistance to the population." | |
An estimated 40,000 people have gathered at Bangui's airport. Aid workers there say there is no sanitation, no shelter from heavy rain, and that disease is spreading. | |
One woman told the Associated Press she had been there with her 10 children for a week without finding food. | |
"The kids are so hungry - they keep asking for food but we have nothing," she said. | |
The UN's humanitarian co-ordinator in Bangui, Kaarina Immonen, acknowledged that there had been problems getting aid to people at the airport, partly because it was such a strategically important location. | The UN's humanitarian co-ordinator in Bangui, Kaarina Immonen, acknowledged that there had been problems getting aid to people at the airport, partly because it was such a strategically important location. |
She told the BBC that aid distribution was now under way, but taking place a short distance from the airport, to ensure the safety of those in need. | She told the BBC that aid distribution was now under way, but taking place a short distance from the airport, to ensure the safety of those in need. |