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Shooting, looting rock Central African Republic's capital after leaders quit
Source: Reuters
Shooting, looting rock Central African Republic's capital after leaders quit
BY PAUL-MARIN NGOUPANA
BANGUI Sat Jan 11, 2014 8:03am EST
(Reuters) - Gunfire rang out, mosques were attacked and Muslim-owned shops and houses were looted overnight in Central African Republic's capital, despite the country's interim leadership stepping down as part of a drive to restore order.
The resignations may provide a fresh start to peace efforts and the violence had eased by daybreak on Saturday. But, highlighting security fears, the United Nations stepped up flights out for foreigners and African governments have already evacuated nearly 30,000 of their citizens caught up in the violence.
President Michel Djotodia and Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye quit on Friday under intense international pressure after they failed to halt months of inter-religious violence that has driven 1 million people, a quarter of the country's population, from their homes.
Thousands of people took to the streets of Bangui, the country's crumbling riverside capital, to celebrate the departure of Djotodia, who was swept to power by mainly Muslim rebels, known as Seleka, last March.
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BY PAUL-MARIN NGOUPANA
BANGUI Sat Jan 11, 2014 8:03am EST
(Reuters) - Gunfire rang out, mosques were attacked and Muslim-owned shops and houses were looted overnight in Central African Republic's capital, despite the country's interim leadership stepping down as part of a drive to restore order.
The resignations may provide a fresh start to peace efforts and the violence had eased by daybreak on Saturday. But, highlighting security fears, the United Nations stepped up flights out for foreigners and African governments have already evacuated nearly 30,000 of their citizens caught up in the violence.
President Michel Djotodia and Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye quit on Friday under intense international pressure after they failed to halt months of inter-religious violence that has driven 1 million people, a quarter of the country's population, from their homes.
Thousands of people took to the streets of Bangui, the country's crumbling riverside capital, to celebrate the departure of Djotodia, who was swept to power by mainly Muslim rebels, known as Seleka, last March.
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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/11/us-centralafrican-idUSBREA0A09Y20140111
