EU official warn of nearing African genocide
EU officials express concerns that the increasing violence in the Central African Republic might soon turn into a genocide and repeat the Rwanda tragedy from 1994.
A dialogue between Christian and Muslim leaders is imperious and the country’s interim government has to start immediately.
EU Humanitarian Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva stated that: ‘This is a risk of becoming a genocide. So far what we see is killings that are most of the time are the result of banditry, not of determination to kill a person of a different religion. But if this banditry if it is not stopped and if it continues then if it leads to that kind of ‘pushing the minority out’ may bring the country into the bad columns of those who have allowed genocide to happen.’
The crisis emerged after Muslim Seleka rebels seized power in a March coup d’etat, forcing former president Francois Bozize to step down from his office. The country was left at the mercy of chaos.
Nearly one million people have fled their homes while more than half of the country’s 4.6 million people are in need of assistance.
The country is now divided into ethnic and religious lines.
Although 6,000 African peacekeepers and 2,000 French troops deployed in the area are trying to restore order, so far, they haven’t been able to stop the violent attacks.