{{The self-proclaimed leader of the Central African Republic’s Christian-dominated vigilantes warned President Catherine Samba-Panza on Thursday against any crackdown against his group.}}<\/p>\n
“Declaring war on the anti-balaka amounts to declaring war on the Central African population,” Richard Bejouane told hundreds of militiamen gathered in an anti-balaka stronghold in the north of the capital Bangui.<\/p>\n
The anti-balaka (“anti-machete” in the local Sango language) militias were initially self-defence groups formed in response to abuses committed by rogue ex-rebels from the mainly Muslim Seleka coalition that seized power in March 2013.<\/p>\n
With the remnants of Seleka on the back foot since France deployed 1,600 soldiers two months ago, most of the ongoing violence is now blamed on the anti-balaka’s attacks.<\/p>\n
Samba-Panza, a Christian who took over as interim president last month from ex-Seleka boss Michel Djotodia, said on Wednesday her administration was “going to go to war against the anti-balaka” if they didn\u2019t stop committing crimes against Muslims.<\/p>\n
“The anti-balaka have lost their sense of mission. They are now the ones who kill, who pillage, who are violent,” she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe president is right to declare war against these bandits,\u201d local health worker Arthur Bissiko told reporters. \u201cEveryone wants peace after all that the ex-Seleka put the people through.\u201d<\/p>\n
Amnesty International this week reported that anti-balaka violence had triggered “a Muslim exodus of historic proportions”.<\/p>\n
“The anti-balaka militias are increasingly organised and using language that suggests their intent is to eliminate Muslim residents” from the country, Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The French contingent and more than 5,000 African Union peacekeepers have been unable to stem a looting pandemic and a cycle of revenge attacks.<\/p>\n
Bejouane claimed that anti-balaka ranks numbered 52,000, including 12,000 in the capital.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week, Patrice Edouard Ngaissona, the anti-balaka\u2019s self-proclaimed \u201cpolitical coordinator,\u201d claimed their number was closer to 70,000, with more than half of them in Bangui.<\/p>\n
But military sources dismissed these numbers as \u201cbizarre\u201d, and said they doubted the very existence of a unified command.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, General Francisco Soriano, who has been heading up France’s Sangaris operation in the Central African Republic, cast doubt on Bejouane’s legitimacy as a leader.<\/p>\n
“Who are the anti-balaka? Who is their boss? What is their political message? What is their chain of command?” he said on Monday.<\/p>\n
“Nobody knows anything. It’s a network we’re unable to put a face on,” Soriano said, describing them as “the principal enemies of peace”, who should be treated as “bandits”.<\/p>\n
The first anti-balaka vigilantes emerged in August 2013 near Bossangoa, Djotodia’s home region around 250 kilometres (150 miles) north of Bangui.<\/p>\n
Their equipment was at first very rudimentary — bows and arrows, home-made hunting rifles, machetes and amulets for “protection”.<\/p>\n
They were soon joined by forces loyal to ousted president Francois Bozize armed with assault rifles, mortars and rocket-launchers.<\/p>\n
AFP<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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