The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has called on the international community to help restore order in the Central African Republic (CAR) amid raging sectarian violence.
OIC Secretary-General Iyad Ameen Madani said the world must act fast and support the new authorities in stabilizing the country because of the implications of the crisis on the peace, security and stability of the wider region and beyond. During a meeting of the OIC Executive Committee, Madani expressed concern over the genocidal and ethnic cleansing campaign against Muslims in the republic.
At least 2,000 people have been killed and some 700,000 have been displaced since December since Christian militias calling themselves anti-Balaka waged a campaign against Muslims. Fighting started when the mostly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power a year ago in the majority Christian state.
Madani cited reports saying the capital, Bangui, has been emptied of its Muslim population with only a quarter remaining in refugee camps. In addition, thousands of Muslims in other provinces of CAR have fled in mass to Chad, Cameron, Mali, Senegal, Niger, Nigeria and Sudan.
The Executive Committee at its emergency meeting on Thursday at OIC Headquarters in Jeddah decided to urgently dispatch a high-level mission led by Guinean Foreign Minister Lounceny Fall, chair of the Council of Foreign Ministers, to visit Bangui “to explore, express solidarity and communicate with the authorities in CAR and contribute to the rapprochement dialogue.”
It also decided to appoint a special representative to lead the efforts toward resolving the crisis and building peace in the country.
Madani urged all to move as fast as possible to alleviate the humanitarian disaster befalling the country and the region.
He said that an OIC team has just returned from Chad after extending humanitarian assistance to Chadian returnees in camps within the capital Ndjamena and in the provincial towns of Sahr, Sido and Doba.
He stressed that the OIC will exert every effort to communicate with the new authorities in CAR towards giving priority to efforts and measures that would enhance dialogue and sustainable national reconciliation. He appreciated all efforts made by organizations working for religious rapprochement and to the present inclusive endeavor of the King Abdullah International Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue in Vienna to arrange inclusive session of dialogue among religious and community leadership in CAR.
He assured the CAR government of the OIC’s readiness to contribute to the process and countering impunity. Madani welcomed the United Nations Security Council resolution that mandated the European Union to deploy troops and the decision by France to raise its troop level to 2,000. He urged the new authorities in CAR as well as the French forces and the African-led Support Mission to take all necessary steps to protect the lives and livelihood of all civilians.
He applauded the recent commitment of the AU and the Transitional President of CAR on taking all necessary measures, including the use of force to wage war against the Anti-Balaka militia, which France had characterized last week as a criminal gang that needed to be combated. He added that he looked forward to having the African Union consider as an urgent matter the transfer of MISCA into a UN mission.
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