France sends troops to help restore order in Central African Republic

PanARMENIAN.Net - The first reinforcements to the French force in the Central African Republic (CAR) are deploying in a bid to restore order after a rebel takeover. Some 200 troops have arrived, with another 500 expected imminently, BBC News reported.

Some former rebel forces have reportedly been leaving the capital, Bangui, as the French troops arrived in the city.

More than 10% of the 4.6 million population have fled their homes since Michel Djotodia seized power in March. He is the country's first leader from the minority Muslim community and Muslim-Christian sectarian attacks have led to warnings of a genocide. The UN is due to discuss taking control of the peacekeeping force this week.

There are currently some 2,500 African troops in CAR, due to be increased to 3,600 by January 2014.

While 460,000 people need shelter, more than a million require food aid, the UN says.

It is not known how many people have been killed in the conflict this year because it is too dangerous to access the rural areas where most killings occur, a UN spokeswoman told the BBC.

However, she said that in the Bossangoa area alone, one of the worst-hit areas about 300km (185 miles) north of the capital, Bangui, several hundred people had been killed in the first two weeks of September.

The unrest in CAR has led to fears that the violence could spread to its neighbours, several of which are trying to emerge from years of conflict and remain extremely unstable, such as South Sudan, the Sudanese region of Darfur, Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

France, the former colonial power, currently has about 400 soldiers stationed in Bangui. Their mission is to protect French nationals. Last week, France said it would send another 1,000 troops to help stabilise the country.

Armed gangs, mainly former Seleka rebels, who are mostly Muslim, now control most of the landlocked country. Some are mercenaries from neighbouring countries, such as Chad and the Darfur region of Sudan.

Djotodia has formally disbanded the rebels and integrated many fighters into the national army. But former rebels linked to Seleka have continued to loot schools and hospitals, as well as attacking villages, prompting the emergence of local civilian protection groups.

The government in Bangui denies targeting any group, but recognises the rise in inter-community violence.