BANGUI
By Fethi Djebali
A United Nations peacekeeping mission has officially took over from the African Union International Support Mission (MISCA) in the war-torn Central African Republic (CAR).
The handover to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) came during an official ceremony on Monday in Bangui airport.
The MINUSCA, which was created in April by the U.N. Security Council, is the 13th peacekeeping mission that has been deployed in CAR since 1998.
The land-locked country descended into anarchy last year when Muslim Seleka militia ousted then president Francois Bozize, a Christian who had come to power in a 2003 coup, and installed Michel Djotodia as an interim president.
The country was plagued by tit-for-tat sectarian violence between seleka fighters and Christian militiamen.
Anti-Muslim violence surged after Djotodia stepped down in January and was replaced by Catherine Samba-Panza, a Christian who formerly served as mayor of the capital Bangui.
Christians, who account for the majority of the country's population, accuse Muslims of supporting Seleka militants blamed for attacking Christian homes, looting property and carrying out summary executions during their brief reign.
Speaking to the ceremony, Samba-Panza said that although the security situation has improved, it remains fragile.
She went on to say that the prime challenge for the MINUSCA mission is to continue efforts to pacify the situation in CAR, to rebuild the police force and reactivate judicial authorities.
The MINUSCA would be receiving support from the European force (EUFOR), which has been present in the country since February after taking over from the French mission which had been redeployed from the capital Bangui to other provinces.
Although the U.N. Security Council has authorized a force of 12,000, only 7,600 troops have been deployed – most of them (6,000) were already serving under the MISCA and changed uniforms.
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