Central African Republic’s predominantly Muslim Selka militants signed a ceasefire with the Christian anti-Balaka militia in Brazzaville, Congo on Wednesday. However, the agreement may be short lived because soon thereafter two ex-Selka soldiers were shot and one killed by suspected anti-Balaka fighters in the rural city of Bambari.
After three days of talks moderated by Congolese President Denis Saddou N’Guesso, Selka abandoned their demand for the country to be officially divided into a Muslim north and a Christian south. The demand risked stalling the cease-fire talks, leading to a continuation of the religious violence that has killed thousands of people and displaced over a million.
Men in military camouflage brandish AK-47s. (Photo: Reuters) |
Central African Republic’s predominantly Muslim Selka militants signed a ceasefire with the Christian anti-Balaka militia in Brazzaville, Congo on Wednesday. However, the agreement may be short lived because soon thereafter two ex-Selka soldiers were shot and one killed by suspected anti-Balaka fighters in the rural city of Bambari.
After three days of talks moderated by Congolese President Denis Saddou N’Guesso, Selka abandoned their demand for the country to be officially divided into a Muslim north and a Christian south. The demand risked stalling the cease-fire talks, leading to a continuation of the religious violence that has killed thousands of people and displaced over a million.
The CAR has been mired in violence since the Selka militants seized towns in March 2013, attacking Christians throughout the country. Mainly comprised of mercenaries from neighboring Chad and Sudan, the group began to occupy government buildings and formed a new chain of command over the northern region of the CAR. Over time, Christian militias have organized in response, targeting Muslim areas in the south.
