Ban wants more troops sent to Central Africa
PHOTO | AFP United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announces February 19, 2014 that Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Martin Nesirky will step down at UN headquarters in New York. Ban Ki-moon has called for urgent deployment of at least 3,000 extra troops to the Central African Republic to protect civilians against the country’s spiralling violence.
What you need to know:
- Appeals comes after weeks of Muslim-Christian bloodshed
- The Central African Republic, which has a long history of coups and rebellions since independence from France in 1960, has been gripped by turmoil since mostly Muslim rebels overthrew the government last March.
- Rogue rebels went on the rampage against civilians, prompting Christians to set up self-defence militia that have in turn been accused of atrocities against the Muslim minority.
UNITED NATIONS
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for urgent deployment of at least 3,000 extra troops to the Central African Republic to protect civilians against the country’s spiralling violence.
Speaking before the UN Security Council on Thursday, Ban appealed for more military forces to be sent “in the coming days or weeks” and asked that they be equipped “with air mobility.”
The Central African Republic, which has a long history of coups and rebellions since independence from France in 1960, has been gripped by turmoil since mostly Muslim rebels overthrew the government last March.
Rogue rebels went on the rampage against civilians, prompting Christians to set up self-defence militia that have in turn been accused of atrocities against the Muslim minority.
STRUGGLING TO RESTORE SECURITY
French and African Union forces have struggled to restore security in the capital, Bangui, where they are based, let alone across the rest of the sprawling nation.
“We need more,” Ban said, following weeks of Muslim-Christian bloodshed which has left hundreds dead and hundreds of thousands displaced following a surge in killings, mutilations and rapes.
“The international community must act decisively now to prevent any further worsening of the situation and to respond to the dire needs of the country’s people,” Ban said, describing the violence as a “calamity with a strong claim on the conscience of humankind”.]
Ban’s call for more troops, combined with a call for donor countries to give more money to its Central African Republic appeal, came less than a week after France and the European Union pledged to bolster their forces.
The EU last Friday said 1,000 troops from the bloc would be on the ground “very, very soon” while France confirmed it was boosting its presence to 2,000 military personnel. However, senior UN officials on the ground in Bangui on Thursday said even greater numbers were needed.
Troops from France’s Operation Sangaris and the 6,000-strong African Union-backed force MISCA are doing a “good job” but need reinforcements to contain the bloodshed, UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said.
