French defence minister visits Central African Republic as violence continues

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/13/french-minister-central-african-republic

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French troops backed by a helicopter traded fire with suspected rebels in Bangui on Friday as France's defence minister arrived in Central African Republic to check on the progress of an operation to stabilise the country.

The violence that has left CAR verging on anarchy showed few signs of abating in the Miskine district of the capital, where about a dozen Muslim men with machetes faced off against a group of Christian youths. Anger boiled over after the death overnight of a Christian taxi driver at the hands of the mostly Muslim former rebels.

Violence outside the capital included a massacre of 27 Muslims on Thursday in the village of Bohong, in the western part of the country, according to a spokeswoman for the UN high commissioner for human rights. Ravina Shamdasani said the situation was also tense in the towns of Bouca, Bossangoa and Bozoum.

CAR has descended into chaos since March when rebel groups overthrew the Christian-led government. France has deployed 1,600 troops to try to disarm Bangui, but they face a backlash from residents too terrified to give up the weapons they fear they need to defend themselves.

People on both sides have carried out retaliatory violence across CAR, an overwhelmingly Christian country that until March had seen little sectarian strife. More than 500 people have been killed in the last week, and the UN has said the toll is expected to rise as teams venture out further into hard-hit neighbourhoods.

The prime minister, Nicolas Tiangaye, issued a new warning about the rising violence, urging a rapid disarming of all sides. "Religious communities that have always lived together in perfect harmony are now massacring each other. The situation must be stopped as soon as possible," Tiangaye said.

The French defence minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, arrived on Friday to meet troops and commanders who are bolstering regional African peacekeepers in the country, the French military said.

The UN said more than 160,000 people had fled their homes in Bangui alone. At least 30,000 of them are living around the airport guarded by French troops.

Officials from the UN World Food Programme began a chaotic distribution of rice, oil and split peas to several thousand people. Aid workers used megaphones to call out names of displaced people who had registered, but the names could hardly be heard over the shouts of frustration.

"We've been here for seven days and have not been able to find food," said Sophie Matias, 45, who was sleeping at the airport with her 10 children. "The kids are so hungry they keep asking for food but we have nothing."

A Unicef cargo plane was expected to bring 77 metric tons of humanitarian supplies later on Friday, including blankets and plastic sheeting for nearly 38,000 people.

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