"Horrendous" violence by Muslims edges toward genocide in Central African Republic

(Yahoo News) Central African Republic is a resource-rich but impoverished country, located where its name implies. To the northwest lies Chad, to the northeast Sudan. Rebel groups from these countries crossed the borders of CAR and formed an alliance called Seleka and ousted the president. However, Seleka’s rebel-turned-president, Michel Djotodia, has lost control of the country. The primarily Muslim Seleka attacked the CAR’s Christian majority, which in turn sought revenge. France and other countries are seeking to prevent more insurgents from crossing over into CAR from Cameroon.

[...]

France's U.N. ambassador called the situation in Central African Republic "horrendous." Other human rights observers, diplomats and government officials use similar terms to describe the African country, where armed Seleka rebels from neighboring countries have engineered a near-civil war between the country's dominant Christian population and minority Muslims. "The state has collapsed, and this country is now simply plundered, looted, the women are raped, people are killed by thugs," French U.N. Ambassador Gerard Araud said earlier this month. U.S. State Department officials have used similar language. France and Rwanda, which has had its own history of genocide, are trying to organize intervention, but the situation is considered so volatile no one is sure how to make a definitive move. More than 400,000 people have been displaced, and reports of child murders and grotesque violence are prompting fears that genocide may be inevitable. Yahoo News examines the resource-wealthy but broken country and the complicated political situation that has led to deadly chaos.

More...