"I am extremely worried by the large number of people who have lost their lives in the course of these clashes," said Marc Vandenberghe, the United Nations' interim humanitarian coordinator.
U.N. troops disperse protesters in third day of clashes
UN peacekeepers fired warning shots in the air to disperse thousands of protestors calling for the rearming of the Central Africa Republic's national army, as at least one person was killed in a third day of violence.
Some 30 people have been killed and dozens more injured in the riverside capital Bangui since the murder of a Muslim man sparked sectarian violence on Saturday in the city patrolled by French and U.N. troops.
Gunshots
were heard throughout the city on Monday morning. Businesses were
shuttered and many residents stayed at home after clashes continued
throughout the night, despite a curfew announced by the interim
government.
Thousands of people marked to the
centre of Bangui, just 100 metres (328 ft) from the presidential palace,
to call for a more prominent role for the military.
The armed forces were sidelined when mostly Muslim northern rebels, known as Seleka,
seized power in March 2013. A U.N. backed interim government has yet to
rearm the military after many officers were linked to the anti-balaka
Christian militia that carried out brutal reprisals against Muslims.
The worst violence this year in the volatile, landlocked country comes as interim President Catherine Samba-Panza is outside the country at the U.N. General Assembly, sparking fears of an attempt to overturn her government.
Few vehicles were present on the streets, which were blocked by checkpoints manned by anti-balaka fighters.
Overnight,
police headquarters was attacked by the anti-balaka in an assault that
stretched from around 10 p.m. local time (2100 GMT) to 3 a.m., injuring
two gendarmes, according to the force's deputy director.
"I am extremely worried by the large number of people who have lost their lives in the course of these clashes," said Marc Vandenberghe, the United Nations' interim humanitarian coordinator.
A
Reuters journalist saw a young man's corpse lying in the street on
Monday. Witnesses said had been killed by mostly Christian anti-balaka
forces.
Red Cross officials say a death toll is
hard to establish as they have been prevented from entering
neighborhoods by protesters and armed groups.
Private
residences and offices for the International Organization for Migration
(IOM) and a medical charity were pillaged Sunday afternoon, according
to a Reuters witness.
UNICEF said children were
deliberately targeted in the unrest, citing the murders of three boys
between the ages of 16 and 17 years old, including one who was
decapitated.
Central African Republic erupted in
violence after Seleka rebels seized power in the majority-Christian
country in 2013, killing thousands and leaving hundreds of thousands
still displaced.
The country has been led by a
transitional government since Jan. 2014, and was expected to vote in
presidential polls scheduled for Oct. 18 but now widely expected to be
postponed.
Former colonial master France said in a
foreign ministry statement that its 900-strong Sangaris mission would
continue to support the U.N. mission and the interim government.
Source: Pulse ng
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