UNITED NATIONS
The 15-member UN Security Council unanimously approved Thursday a peacekeeping force for the Central African Republic in an attempt to try to stop the violence between Muslims and Christians that is threatening to escalate into genocide.
The force, comprised of up to 10,000 troops, 1,800 police and 20 corrections officers, from September 15 will take over from the African-led International Support Mission French forces, but will continue to be supported by the 2,000 strong French troops already in the country.
Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, who in the last week visited the Central African Republic, welcomed the resolution having repeatedly called “for an immediate cessation of the killings, targeted attacks and other atrocious human rights violations that continue with total impunity,” his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Thursday.
The resolution passed by the Security Council also authorizes peacekeepers to help investigate violations of human rights and humanitarian law by all armed groups in the country and condemns the recruiting of children into the militias.
The Central African Republic has been mired in severe sectarian violence since March 2013 after the mainly Muslim Séléka seized power a year ago.
By Erol Avdovic - Anadolu Agency
englishnews@aa.com.tr
