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Thursday, December 12, 2013

Surge in Christian-Muslim Strife Stirs Genocide Fears in Central African Republic


The ‘worst crisis most people have never heard of’ develops a new fault line: religion. Bangui fighting kills between 400 and 1,000 people.


In October, more than 100 Christian leaders of the Central African Republic (CAR) warned the world of the increasing risk of a "genocidal interfaith civil war."

This past weekend seemed to confirm the fears found in their "Bangui Declaration"—issued from the capital city of Bangui—as fighting between largely Muslim and Christian militias in Bangui killed between 400 and 1,000 people.

To stem the escalating conflict, the United Nations, led by France, has sent thousands of soldiers to the CAR, long known as "the worst crisis most people have never heard of." (CT previously traveled more than 600 miles through the CAR to report on the "messy business" of clean water.)

Since Islamist rebels seized power in March, a new fault line has emerged: religion. Self-proclaimed president Michel Djotodia has ordered "Seleka" fighters, including mercenaries from neighboring Chad and Sudan, to disband. But renegades continue attacking Christian villages and churches—and Christian militias known as "anti-Balaka" are retaliating.

World Watch Monitor (WWM) has chronicled the recent unraveling of Christian-Muslim relations. Keep reading

Also see
Up to 1,000 killed in Central African Republic

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