Heavy fighting erupted near the airport in Central African Republic’s capital Bangui on February 19 as Christian militia blocked an attempt to evacuate Muslims, witnesses said, disrupting a visit by a top United Nations aid official. The former French colony has been gripped by cycles of inter-religious killing despite the deployment of about 6,000 African and 1,600 French peacekeepers to halt violence that some diplomats say risked slipping into genocide. The clashes reportedly began after Chadian troops tried to escort a convoy of Muslims out of the city but were blocked by the militia, known as the “anti-balaka”.
CAR MILITIA ATTACKS CONVOY OF MUSLIMS BEING EVACUATED
Heavy fighting erupted near the airport in Central African Republic’s capital Bangui on February 19 as Christian militia blocked an attempt to evacuate Muslims, witnesses said, disrupting a visit by a top United Nations aid official.
