Crisis in the Central African Republic
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: Gunfire appears to target church compound where 35,000 Christians have taken refuge
- Eight people have been killed and 65 injured, Doctors without Borders says
- Hours before a U.N. meeting on the crisis, heavy gunfire erupts near the presidential palace
- More than 400,000 people -- nearly 10% of the population -- have been internally displaced
Hours before the meeting, heavy gunfire erupted near the presidential palace in the capital of Bangui, witnesses said.
Samuel Henryon, of Doctors without Borders, told CNN that eight people have been killed and 65 wounded in clashes in the city.
The agency, also known as
Medecins Sans Frontieres, has 16 people helping at two hospitals where
the wounded have been taken, it said in a statement. Twenty are badly
hurt, most with gunshot, machete or knife wounds.
An official with the
African-led peacekeeping force in the Central African Republic, Jean
Pierre Sadou, told CNN he had seen eight dead bodies in the street. He
said he had been told there were more bodies near the National Assembly.
Violence has raged in the
country since a coalition of rebels ousted President Francois Bozize in
March, the latest in a series of coups since the nation gained
independence.
Christian vigilante groups have formed to battle Seleka, the predominantly Muslim coalition behind the president's ouster.
Multiple sources told CNN
that the military commander of Seleka, Gen. Issa Yahya, was killed
Thursday in Bangui. His second-in-command, Col. Saleh Zabari, is now
thought to be in charge.
Sadou said Seleka is now
back in control of the center of Bangui and the situation there is
quiet. Fighting continues near the airport, however.
Members of Seleka told CNN that at least 30 people had been killed in the clashes in Bangui, men and women among them.
Christians take refuge
Left uncontrolled, militia groups are uniting along religious lines, leading to fears of sectarian violence.
The situation in
Bossangoa, a town about 185 miles north of Bangui that is at the
epicenter of displacement resulting from the violence, was extremely
tense Thursday.
About 35,000 Christians have taken refuge in a Catholic church compound there.
The headquarters of the
small regional peacekeeping mission told CNN that the second-in-command
of Seleka had given the militia permission to attack the compound. The
mission has sent reinforcements in defensive positions around the church
to protect civilians, and the situation there is extremely tense.
A CNN team in the
vicinity could hear sustained gunfire and rocket-propelled grenade fire
that appeared to be directed at the church compound.
There is no word yet of any casualties or damage suffered.
Speaking to CNN before
reports of the death of Seleka's commander emerged, Zabari said that it
was believed there were armed elements in the compound but that unless
those inside moved against them, they wouldn't attack it.
The U.S. State
Department said the United States was "appalled by today's reports of
the murder of innocent women and children outside of Bangui" and was
working with its international partners to find the best way to
stabilize the situation.
"This horrifying account
is the latest in a string of reports that illustrate the deteriorating
humanitarian and security situation in the Central African Republic that
could lead to an escalation in violence and further atrocities," a
prepared statement said.
An unknown number of
people have been killed in remote rural areas too risky to access.
United Nations officials have warned that the violence between the
Christian majority and Muslim minority now in power could lead to
genocide.
More than 400,000 people -- nearly 10% of the population -- have been internally displaced, according to the United Nations.
"They are hiding in the
bush without shelter, food, or drinking water, exposed to the weather
and mosquitoes that carry malaria, the leading cause of death in the
country," Doctors Without Borders said in a statement. The group has operated in the country for years and is helping dispatch mobile units to take care of the wounded.
French troops
An African Union force is already in the nation, but rights group say it's not enough to halt the escalating violence.
Last month, France
pledged to send about 1,000 more troops to add to the 400 already there.
The troops currently there are deployed to protect French nationals and
help secure the airport in the capital, France said.
Sources in the African
Union mission to the Central African Republic said Wednesday that more
French troops are on their way to the nation.
The United Nations has
suggested its peacekeeping force should eventually augment the
African-led mission, and the meeting Thursday will focus on that.
Bozize fled the country after the coup led by rebel leader Michel Djotodia.
A transitional
government is in place led by Djotodia, who was commander of the Seleka
rebels. But the country continues to be wracked by unrest and new
elections have yet to be held.
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