 |
| African Union peacekeepers have been deployed in CAR in an effort to stem the violence |
A grenade attack on a
funeral in Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, kills 20 people, a
government minister says.
The attack happened at
around 23:00 on Thursday (22:00 GMT), Public Security Minister Denis Wangao
Kizimale was quoted as saying.
Eleven people were
injured in the attack, he told AFP news agency.
The country has been
hit by civil conflict since a rebel group deposed the president in March 2013.
Mr Kizimale told
national radio that the attackers were "extremists well known to the police",
according to AFP. Reports from Bangui say that Muslims are being blamed. No
group has said it carried out the attack.
The conflict has taken
on an increasingly sectarian nature, with UN human rights chief Navi Pillay
warning last week that hatred between Christians and Muslims in CAR had reached
a "terrifying level".
The mainly Muslim
rebel Seleka movement deposed President Francois Bozize in March 2013 and
installed their leader Michel Djotodia as president.
The rebels were
accused of targeting Christians and in January Mr Djotodia was in turn forced
to step down amid criticism he had not done enough to stem sectarian violence
Attacks on Muslims
have now become a major element of the conflict, with thousands of Muslims
fleeing their homes and even the country.
No comments:
Post a Comment