U.N. peacekeepers authorized for Central African Republic

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http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-central-african-republic-un-peacekeepers-20140410,0,6680887.story



A child walks across a street in the PK12 neighborhood of Bangui, where Muslims are waiting to be evacuated from the Central African Republic.

U.N. peacekeepers authorized for Central African Republic
By Alexandra Zavis
April 10, 2014, 2:49 p.m.

The United Nations Security Council on Thursday unanimously authorized a nearly 12,000-member peacekeeping force for the Central African Republic, where fighting between Christians and Muslims has been raging for months.

The U.N. force will take over Sept. 15 from nearly 6,000 African Union troops already deployed in the country, many of whom are expected to be incorporated into the new operation. A separate 2,000-member force sent by former colonial ruler France is authorized to support the U.N. mission.

The mineral-rich but deeply impoverished country plunged into anarchy when the Muslim-dominated Seleka rebel coalition seized power in March 2013.

Rebel leader Michel Djotodia was accused by human rights groups of failing to rein in abuses by his followers, who raped, looted and killed. After his government collapsed in January, local self-defense groups made up mostly of Christians and animists turned their fury on Muslim civilians, whom they accused of supporting the rebels.