France Urges World to Act over C. Africa Violence
French President Francois Hollande on Wednesday called on the world to act over violence in the Central African Republic amid fears of a sectarian bloodbath in the deeply unstable country.
Hollande told government ministers the international community "cannot accept the abuses currently taking place, must take action and of course France will take its share of the responsibility for doing so," according to government spokeswoman Najat Vallaud-Belkacem.
Since interim president Michel Djotodia seized power in a coup in March, the remnants of his Seleka rebel coalition have been sowing chaos across the former French colony, although he has formally disbanded the rebels and inducted many fighters into the national army.
Djotodia is the first Muslim president in the Christian-majority country, and some of the recent deadly violence has had religious undertones, with both churches and mosques being burnt.
Vallaud-Belkacem said the situation in the impoverished country, which has been plagued by war and unrest for decades, was "extraordinarily serious".
"As early as next week, or even before that, there could be a new proposal for a resolution at the U.N. Security Council to support the deployment of an African force, to which France will give all its backing," she said.
A French foreign ministry spokesman said there would be a meeting on Monday at the Security Council on the issue, with options ranging from beefing up an African force already on the ground to sending U.N. peacekeepers as support.
Vallaud-Belkacem made no reference to the possibility of France sending more soldiers to the sprawling country in equatorial Africa. France already has about 410 troops there to protect French nationals.
The increasingly beleaguered Djotodia meanwhile put up a brave front, saying "exceptional measures have been taken to re-establish security".
The former rebel leader said in a statement he was determined to "track down all criminals, looters, troublemakers and those who commit rights violations along with their accomplices."
The rebels have attacked several villages and staged high-profile killings, including that of a prominent judge.
The violence is marked in the north-west of the country, where attacks by the rebels have led to the creation of "self-defense" groups and sparked Christian-Muslim violence.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has warned the Security Council that armed groups were playing the two communities against each other, and has supported the establishment of a U.N. peacekeeping force of up to 9,000 troops before the crisis leads to widespread atrocities.
The United States has meanwhile said the country is in "a per-genocidal situation".
A regional force known as the MISCA is working to stabilize the country. But only 2,500 soldiers of a planned 3,600 are on the ground, and their mission is hampered by a lack of training, arms and money.
The African Union is due to take charge of the force in December.
Most of the MISCA soldiers come from neighboring Chad. Cameroon and Gabon have sent 500 troops each, while Equatorial Guinea has sent about 200, according to a French diplomatic source.
Source: Agence France Presse
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