Militia Fighters Kill 13 in Central African Republic

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/13/world/africa/central-african-republic.html

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KAGA BANDORO, Central African Republic — Fighters from a largely Muslim militia in the Central African Republic’s remote north on Wednesday attacked people displaced by violence in the country, stabbing or hacking to death 13 people before United Nations peacekeepers repelled them, killing at least 10, officials said.

Several people were also wounded in the attack on Kaga-Bandoro, a town of dirt roads and thatched mud huts. A witness saw militiamen stab two displaced people to death as people were fleeing. When some tried to fight back with clubs, the militiamen began firing guns.

Hundreds of panicked villagers, already refugees from earlier violence, then fled in the direction of the peacekeepers’ base.

The Central African Republic has been in chaos since early 2013, when a militia known as the Seleka, which draws mostly from the country’s minority Muslim population, toppled President François Bozizé.

Militias alligned with the Christian majority responded by attacking Muslims, and a fifth of the population fled their homes to escape the violence, leaving the nation deeply divided along ethnic and religious lines.

“We were in the house when suddenly the Seleka arrived and set it on fire,” said a witness, Marcelline Kanga, 40. “They killed my uncle and stabbed my brother to death right there.”

Yongon Samson, 48, described seeing a body with its head sliced off as he ran for cover.

Thousands of people displaced during the latest flare-up of violence gathered around the United Nations peacekeeping base. A Catholic priest took refuge inside.

Troops from the United Nations mission opened fire to repel the militias, a witness said.

A United Nations official said the peacekeepers had to open fire to protect the civilian population and confirmed that at least 10 militia fighters had been killed.

The Central African Republic’s United Nations peacekeeping mission, which has sought to try to keep the rival factions apart, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The country, which holds reserves of uranium, gold and diamonds, is one of the world’s most isolated economies, with exports and imports having to travel about 850 miles by road between the capital, Bangui, to the Cameroonian port of Douala.

France said on Friday that it was keeping an eye on the worsening security situation in the Central African Republic, but that it would still withdraw most of its troops by the end of the month.

Eleven people were killed in clashes in Bangui last week, which were set off by the murder of an army officer.

Pope Francis visited the capital at the end of last year to implore Christians and Muslims to end the violence.