Central African Republic de facto partitioned, UN experts say
Fri Jul 11, 2014 5:42pm GMT
By Michelle Nichols
UNITED NATIONS, July 11 (Reuters) - Central African Republic is de facto
partitioned with Christian militias in the west of the impoverished,
landlocked country pillaging diamonds and mainly Muslim Seleka rebels in the
east controlling gold mines, U.N. experts said on Friday.
Violence between the Muslim and Christian communities killed at least 2,400
civilians between December and April, the panel said, but they acknowledged
the toll was likely higher due to underreporting.
Seleka rebels seized power more than a year ago, committing abuses on the
majority Christian population that triggered waves of deadly revenge attacks
by the anti-balaka Christian fighters, forcing a million people to flee
their homes.
In a report to the U.N. Security Council released on Friday, the experts who
monitor sanctions violations said they believe "that armed groups, whether
associated with anti-balaka or the former Seleka, have been manipulated and
incited by political spoilers to commit acts of violence against civilians
and international forces with the aim of strengthening those leaders'
influence and destabilizing the transition process or promoting the
partition of the country."
"The country is de facto partitioned into two ... with the predominant
presence of so-called anti-balaka militias in the west and of the new Seleka
in the east," the experts said.
The violence in Central African Republic has continued despite the presence
of 2,000 French troops and some 6,000 African Union forces. In April, the
Security Council authorized a U.N. peacekeeping force of up to 10,000 troops
and 1,800 police, which is due to assume authority in September.
"Armed groups have been involved in the illicit trade and exploitation of
natural resources, namely gold and diamonds," the experts' report said.
"In the west of the Central African Republic, anti-balaka members are
digging for and trading in diamonds in remote villages," it said. "In the
east, Seleka forces retain a tight grip on artisanal gold mines."
In December, the Security Council imposed an arms embargo on Central African
Republic and then in May, it imposed sanctions on the country's former
President François Bozizé and two other men linked to the country's
conflict.
"Apart from illicit imports of hunting ammunition, the panel has not
documented any major transfer of weapons, ammunition or military equipment
since the imposition of the arms embargo," the report said.
Armed groups were mainly using small arms that were circulating in the
country before the crisis or obtained from government stockpiles following
the collapse of the national security forces, the experts said. (Reporting
by Michelle Nichols)