CAR faces ‘high risk’ of genocide: UN

The UN special adviser on the prevention of genocide says the Central African Republic (CAR) faces a “high risk” of genocide and crimes against humanity.

Adama Dieng briefed the UN Security Council on Wednesday on the continuing and unprecedented violence in the African country.

Restorinsg peace in the Central African Republic will be “difficult,” Dieng stated.

The UN official, who visited the African country last month, also presented reports of “widespread and massive” human rights violations including summary executions, mutilation and sexual violence to the Security Council, urging a stronger military mission in the country.

He said the current size of deployed African peacekeepers is not enough to deal with the crisis in CAR. Dieng called on other African countries to reinforce their military mission to put an end to deadly clashes there.

The Central African Republic spiraled into chaos in March 2013, when Seleka fighters unseated President Francois Bozizé and brought Michel Djotodia to power. Bozizé fled the country after his ouster.

On January 10, both Djotodia and Prime Minister Nicolas Tiengaye resigned after coming under intense pressure over the government’s failure to stem the deadly violence.

France invaded its former colony on December 5, 2013, after the UN Security Council adopted a resolution giving the African Union and France the go-ahead to send troops to the country.

Paris has deployed 1,600 troops to the country, but the UN-backed intervention force, which includes over 4,000 African Union peacekeepers, is struggling to restore security in the Central African Republic.

On Wednesday, 10 people were killed in fresh clashes between local Christian militia and Seleka fighters. According to reports, at least 1,000 people were killed in the country last month alone.