Mass killing of Muslims underway in full swing in Central African Republic

No effective measure to stop the carnage

By Latheef Farook-January 28, 2014 t appears it is no! "entra# $frican %epu&#ic 'us#ims( turn in $frica to pay the price un)er the ongoing g#o&a# campaign against s#am an) 'us#ims* $ccor)ing to reports massacre of f#eeing 'us#ims continues una&ate) ever since vio#ence erupte) on + ,ecem&er 201&et!een !e## e.uippe) "hristian ma/ority an) i## e.uippe) 'us#im minority* $ccor)ing to agency, 0nite) Nations, $mnesty nternationa# an) other reports a 'us#im former minister !as hacke) to )eath #ast Fri)ay an) hun)re)s of others !ere ki##e) !hen "hristian &an)s attacke) an) #oote) in a 'us#im neigh&orhoo) in the capita# Bangui* 1he attackers arme) !ith automatic rif#es an) machetes am&ushe) a convoy of 'us#ims f#eeing sectarian vio#ence, ki##e) 22 peop#e an) #eft survivors !ith gashes spurting &#oo), 2ave the "hi#)ren sai) 2un)ay* 2ave the "hi#)ren 2pokesman 'ike 'c"usker sai) )octors )escri&e) gory scenes an) harro!ing accounts after gunmen fire) rocket grena)e to ha#t a convoy of refugees an) then attacke) !ith firearms, machetes an) c#u&s* 'c"usker a))e) that 3our )octor sai) there !as &#oo)y every!here, /ust pouring out of peop#e #ike tap !ater* Life remains precarious in the 3sti## fraught an) high#y )angerous4 situation* $n inci)ent of this magnitu)e has on#y come to the forefront &ecause of our interna# contacts at the hospita#* 'ay&e a #ot of these stories are not &eing reporte)* 1he entire popu#ation of Bouar, a&out 40,000, is taking refuge in mos.ues an) churches*

'en carry the &o)y of a #ynche) 'us#im man through a street in Bangui, "entra#

$frican %epu&#ic, on 2un)ay n ,ecem&er 201- a#one more than1,000 peop#e have &een ki##e) an) a#most one mi##ion peop#e, or a .uarter of the popu#ation, have &een )isp#ace) &y fighting* 1his !as not something une5pecte) as the country !as hea)ing to!ar)s anarchy )uring the past fe! months* For e5amp#e in 6cto&er, 0N 2ecretary-7enera# Ban 8imoon sai) the country ha) e5perience) 9tota# &reak)o!n of #a! an) or)er,9 an) he authori:e) the )ep#oyment of a peacekeeping force* $ month #ater in Novem&er 201- Ban 8i-moon note) that the security situation in the country remaine) precarious !ith government authority none5istent outsi)e of Bangui an) Jan ;#iasson, the 0N )eputy secretary genera# sai) that the country !as 9***)escen)ing into comp#ete chaos**9 $ 1< ,ecem&er 201- report &y "hristian 'ukosa of $mnesty nternationa# sai)4 3 !ar crimes an) crimes against humanity such as e5tra/u)icia# e5ecutions, muti#ation of &o)ies, intentiona# )estruction of re#igious &ui#)ings such as mos.ues, an) the force) )isp#acement of massive num&ers of peop#e are &eing committe) &y a## parties to the conf#ict * n some neigh&orhoo)s, "hristian forces !ent )oor to )oor an) ki##e) 'us#ims* $ sma## num&er of !omen an) chi#)ren !ere a#so ki##e)* ,uring the )ays that fo##o!e) the initia# &urst of vio#ence in Bangui, human rights vio#ations an) a&uses continue) at a staggering pace* ,espite the presence of French an) $frican mi#itary forces meant to protect the civi#ian popu#ation, civi#ians are &eing !i##fu##y ki##e) on a )ai#y &asis* 2ome victims have &een shot= others have &een ki##e) &y angry mo&s !ith machetes= others stone)* Both the "hristian an) 'us#im communities have a )eep sense of anger an) grievance > many peop#e have sho!n $mnesty nternationa# researchers photos an) vi)eos of s#aughter that they keep on their mo&i#e phones* t is important to esta&#ish responsi&i#ity for the crimes that have &een committe) in this conf#ict an) ensure an en) to )eca)es of impunity that have prevai#e) in this country,4 sai) "hristian 'ukosa* 1he organi:ation has receive) cre)i&#e information a&out mi#itia #ea)ers !ho are )irect#y imp#icate) in the attacks an) shou#) &e &rought to /ustice* 6ne !oman to#) ?uman %ights @atch, 31hey took everything of va#ue that they cou#) an) they &urne) the rest*4 "asings from assau#t rif#es an) grena)e fragments #ittere) the groun)* 1he surviving popu#ation of the to!n is no! #iving in the &ush near the to!n !ithout housing, me)icine, or even the possi&i#ity of humanitarian support* 1he assau#t on the to!n vio#ate) internationa# humanitarian #a! prohi&itions against attacks against civi#ians an) )estruction an) #ooting of civi#ian

property* 1hose !ho carrie) out or or)ere) the attacks are responsi&#e for !ar crimes* @ithout further investigation, the num&er of peop#e !ho )ie) at "amp Bangui !i## never &e kno!n,4 sai) Beke#e* 3$ttacks #ike these on popu#ate) areas are causing massive )evastation an) fear among the popu#ation of the "entra# $frican %epu&#ic*4 2A January 2014 > @arning that the "entra# $frican %epu&#ic is no! at a critica# /uncture, the 0nite) Nations human rights chief ca##e) on the internationa# community to he#p restore security in the country, inc#u)ing &y &oosting the peacekeeping effort there* @e simp#y cannot #et the socia# fa&ric of this country &e torn apart* ca## as a matter of utmost urgency upon the internationa# community to strengthen peacekeeping efforts,4 sai) ?igh "ommissioner for ?uman %ights Navi Bi##ay* 1here is a nee) to urgent#y restore security in the country* 'any #ives are at stake,4 she !arne) in a ne!s re#ease* 1housan)s of peop#e are estimate) to have &een ki##e), an) 2*2 mi##ion, a&out ha#f the popu#ation, nee) humanitarian ai)* 3?o!ever, the security an) human rights situation has further )eteriorate) over the past fe! )ays* 'us#im civi#ians are no! e5treme#y vu#nera&#e* 'any are &eing pushe) out of the country, an) are no! f#eeing, most#y to!ar)s the "ha)ian &or)er,4 she sai)* 1he "entra# $frican %epu&#ic is a #an)#ocke) country * t has &or)ers !ith "ha) in the north, 2u)an in the northeast, 2outh 2u)an in the east, the ,emocratic %epu&#ic of the "ongo an) the %epu&#ic of the "ongo in the south an) "ameroon in the !est* Before the 1<th century, the peop#e #iving in this country #ive) &eyon) the e5pan)ing s#amic frontier in the 2u)anic :one of $frica *,uring the first )eca)es of the 1<th century, 'us#im tra)ers entere) the region an) cu#tivate) re#ations !ith #oca# #ea)ers to faci#itate tra)e an) sett#ement in the region*1he arriva# of 'us#im tra)ers in the ear#y 1<th century !as re#ative#y peacefu# an) )epen)e) upon the support of #oca# peop#es* 1he "entra# $frican %epu&#ic , a French co#ony, has &een unsta&#e since its in)epen)ence from France in 1<C0 *,espite rich in minera# resources such as uranium , cru)e oi# go#), )iamon)s, #um&er an) hy)ropo!er, as !e## as ara&#e #an) , perhaps un)er the contro# of French corporate cong#omerates, this is one of the #east-)eve#ope) countries in the !or#)* ,eca)es of misru#e, fighting &et!een the government an) re&e#s, an) the ongoing menace of &an)itry have #eft peop#e !eakene) an) e5treme#y vu#nera&#e, sai) Boris Darnit:ky, the %" country )irector in "$%*

Men brandish machets and knives to threaten Muslim people in Bangui

Plight of fleeing Muslims

@here are the 'us#ims countriesE @here are the oi# rich 7u#f sheikhs f#oating in !ea#th an) comforts an) ho& kno&&ing !ith the crusa)ersE @here is the so ca##e) custo)ian of ?oy 2hrines an) his !ea#thE @here are the so ca##e) 1*+ &i##ion 'us#ims !or#)!i)e to the misera&#e p#ight of "entra# $frican %epu&#ican 'us#imsE sn(t it shame on a## 'us#ims !or#)!i)eE ?o!ever !e are a## ans!era&#e* FNote-)etai#s an) photos !ere gathere) from agencies, 0nite) Nations, $mnesty nternationa# an) other such sourcesG