Muslims continue to flee Bangui

Muslims continue to flee violence in the Central African Republic’s capital, Bangui.

Foreign forces escorted a convoy of more than 100 Muslims from the violence-stricken capital and reached the city of Bambari on Monday, some 300 kilometers (190 miles) northeast of the capital.

The group of Muslims was transported in two trucks, accompanied by a convoy of vehicles from the French peacekeeping forces, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration.

Tammi Sharpe, deputy head of the UNHCR in the Central African Republic, said the evacuation was “a measure to save lives” as the displaced Muslims had been “constantly attacked” in the northern Bangui neighborhood of PK 12.

The convoy was pelted with stones as it passed through the town of Sibut, a member of the African-le International Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA) peacekeeping force said.

Thousands of Muslims are still trapped in other cities across the country as Christian armed groups have launched attacks on Muslims trying to flee the country.

Deadly sectarian violence erupted in the Central African Republic in December 2013, when Christian armed groups started a campaign of violence against the mostly Muslim Seleka group, who had ousted the Western-backed government in the country, and the general Muslim population across the nation.

Last week, the UNHCR said since violence began four months ago, nearly 200,000 people have fled the country. Some 160,000 more people are expected to flee by the end of this year.

French and African peacekeeping forces deployed to the country have been unable to end the carnage and even in some occasions they have been accused of killing Muslims.

CAH/HSN/HRB