Violence continues in Central African Republic

The European peacekeeping force EUFOR were involved in clashes with militants in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic on Tuesday. Five people were killed in these skirmishes, including a volunteer from the Red Cross.

RFI / David Thomson

Five people were killed and more than thirty others were injured in clashes with militants that started on Tuesday evening and continued until Wednesday.

A volunteer from the Red Cross was killed by a bullet while he was trying to help the injured.

The clashes took place in PK 5, one of the last remaining Muslim sections of the city, and a place where about 2,200 Muslims have gathered to escape sectarian violence.

EUFOR became operational in June and has 750 troops on the ground, including 250 French soldiers.

The French military operation called Sangaris is also deployed in the country, with a total of 2,000 soldiers. It was launched in December last year.

The UN Mission MINUSCA (United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic) is set to start next month and gradually replace the African Union force called MISCA. 6,000 MISCA soldiers are expected to continue under the MINUSCA banner.

The Central African Republic has seen more than a year of fighting between anti-balaka and Seleka militia that has sent the country into spiralling turmoil, displacing hundreds of thousands of people.