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Civilians flee violence in Central African Republic

Iran Press TV

Sat Dec 28, 2013 10:12PM GMT

Civilians are fleeing rising sectarian violence in the Central African Republic, boarding emergency flights and riding trucks to neighboring Chad.

On Saturday, neighboring countries appealed for assistance to rescue their citizens from the humanitarian crisis in the making in the African country.

According to the United Nations, over 800,000 people have so far fled their homes because of the ongoing clashes between Christian anti-Balaka militiamen and Seleka fighters, who are mostly Muslim.

'We have never known violence as barbaric as this,' said Aishatou Abdelkarim, a 31-year-old Muslim woman. 'The devil has taken control of our country.'

France has deployed 1,600 troops in its former colony, but the United Nations-backed intervention force, which includes about 4,000 African Union peacekeepers, is struggling to restore security in the African Republic.

On Friday, French President Francois Hollande urged the UN to play a bigger role in containing the violence in the country.

'(The president) has asked the United Nations to play a more important role during the transition in the Central African Republic,' Hollande's office said of his telephone call with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

The Central African Republic spiraled into chaos in March when Seleka fighters overthrew President Francois Bozizé and brought Michel Djotodia to power. Bozizé fled the country after his ouster.

On September 13, Djotodia dissolved the Seleka coalition. Some of the rebels later joined the country's regular army while some defied.

France invaded its former colony on December 5 after the UN Security Council adopted a resolution giving the African Union and France the go-ahead to send troops to the country.

Paris claims the aim of the mission is to create stability in the country in order to allow humanitarian aid to reach violence-hit areas.

There are many mineral resources, including gold and diamond, in the Central African Republic. However, the country is extremely poor and has faced a series of rebellions and coups since it gained independence in 1960.

GJH/NN/AS