28 Killed İn Fresh Wave Of Car Sectarian Violence

At least 28 people were killed over the past two days amid a fresh wave of sectarian violence in the war-torn Central African Republic (CAR), local media has reported.



"Clashes erupted Tuesday in the central town of Mbres between [Christian] anti-Balaka elements and [Muslim] seleka militants," the local Abangui website reported, "ing a police official who spoke on condition of anonymity.



The violence, the website added, "continued on Wednesday and Thursday morning, leaving at least 28 people dead and dozens injured."



The report did not specify, however, the number of casualties sustained by each side.



"Anti-Balaka militants were holed up in the hills and caves on the outskirts of Mbres, while seleka militants controlled the town's center, where they tried to impose their laws," the anonymous police official was "ed as saying.



Hundreds of local residents fled the town after fighting broke out, according to the official.



The latest wave of violence comes only days after both sides held a symbolic reconciliation ceremony in Mbres sponsored by the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in CAR (MINUSCA).



Since last year, mineral-rich CAR has been plagued by tit-for-tat sectarian violence between Christian anti-Balaka militiamen and Muslim seleka fighters.



Christians, who account for the majority of the country's population, accuse Muslims of supporting former seleka rebels blamed for attacking Christian homes, looting property and carrying out summary executions.



Since December of last year, some 173,000 people have been internally displaced by sporadic sectarian violence, while 37,000 others have fled to neighboring countries, according to UN refugee agency UNHCR.



Over 30,000 have reportedly sought refuge in the nearby Democratic Republic of Congo, while Chad and Cameroon now host roughly 5,600 and 1,000 CAR refugees respectively, according to UNHCR figures.



In September, MINUSCA, which received a UN Security Council mandate in May, began deploying its 12,000-strong force in the troubled central African country.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Bangui