40 bodies recovered in CAR capital: Red Cross

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says the bodies of 40 people have been recovered in the Central African Republic’s capital of Bangui following clashes in the city.

ICRC spokesman David Pierre Marquet said on Thursday that the bodies were found by the Central African branch of the Red Cross in just one day, AFP reported.

“Around 40 bodies have been recovered for the moment, and first aid has been given to around 60 people wounded,” he said.

Marquet said another 60 or so bodies were recovered last Monday.

He said the ICRC did not yet have a complete death toll for the Central African Republic since a new of violence began on December 5.

“We’ll know more tomorrow (Friday) because there is currently a curfew and nobody is able to go out, not even emergency personnel,” he said.

The Central African Republic spiraled into chaos in March when the Seleka fighters overthrew President Francois Bozizé and brought Michel Djotodia to power. Bozizé fled the country after his ouster.

On September 13, Djotodia dissolved the Seleka coalition. Some of the rebels later joined the country’s regular army while some defied.

France invaded its former colony on December 5 after the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution giving the African Union and France the go-ahead to send troops to the country.

Paris claims the aim of the mission is to create stability in the country in order to allow humanitarian aid to reach violence-hit areas.

There are many mineral resources, including gold and diamond, in the Central African Republic. However, the country is extremely poor and has faced a series of rebellions and coups since it gained independence in 1960.