Central African Republic: Urgent need for increase in peacekeeping troops as CAR President steps down : Media Advisory

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ADVISORY AI Index: AFR 19/001/2014 10 January 2014 Urgent need for increase in peacekeeping troops as CAR President steps down The resignation of the Central African Republic’s interim President, Michel Djotodia, risks exacerbating the risk to civilian lives, and indicates the urgent need for increased peacekeeping forces in the country, Amnesty International said today [...] The African Union’s failure to fulfil its promise to deploy a full contingent of peacekeeping forces to the country means the size of the peacekeeping force is insufficient to protect a highly vulnerable population. [...] In the meantime more than a thousand lives have been lost and hundreds of thousands are still trapped in camps for displaced people, too afraid to go home,” said Joanne Mariner, Amnesty International’s Senior Crisis Response Advisor. [...] The Muslim ex-Seleka forces are also heavily armed, creating a real risk of the violence escalating even further. [...] The safety and protection of civilians have to be paramount.” “As inter-communal hatred and mistrust deepens across the country, there has to be clear information, widely communicated to the population, as to what security measures will be put in place next.” “This unremitting violence has gone on for far too long.