{{UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the international community Thursday to rapidly deploy another 3,000 troops and police to Central African Republic, where religious fighting has killed at least 2,000 people and displaced around one million.}}
Ban’s plea comes amid growing fears that the conflict in CAR could transform into an ethnic cleansing.
The European Union is already set to deploy 1,000 troops to join 6,000 African Union peacekeepers and almost 2,000 French soldiers, who have struggled to stop the fighting, which began after the mostly Muslim Seleka rebel group seized power a year ago in the majority Christian country.
“The security requirements far exceed the capability of the international troops now deployed,” Ban told the UN Security Council. “We need more.”
A further 3,000 troops and police would increase the international force in CAR to some 12,000.
Ban also proposed that all international forces in Central African Republic be brought under “a coordinated command,” with a priority placed on protecting civilians and ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid.
He suggested that $38 million in logistical and financial aid be given to the African Union mission in CAR over six months, and that the government receive financial assistance so that it can bring back some of its essential public services, such as police and courts.
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