UN to send 10,000 troops into troubled Central African Republic

The 15-member United Nations (UN) Security Council has unanimously approved the creation of a peacekeeping force in the Central African Republic to try to end violence between Christians and Muslims from spiralling into genocide. 

The UN force, Minusca, will see the deployment, of up to 10,000 troops, 1,800 police and 20 corrections officers.

It has also permitted French troops in the landlocked former colony to support UN peacekeepers.

The operation will assume authority on 15 September from the African Union's 5,600-strong Misca force, which was deployed in December. The council wants the UN force to include "as many Misca military and police personnel as possible".

An 800-strong European Union force is also due to start deploying in the first week of May.

The mainly Muslim Séléka seized power a year ago, triggering abuses on the majority Christian population that in turn led to revenge attacks. Thousands of deaths have since been reported while hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced.

Despite the presence of 2,000 French troops and African Union forces, clashes between Christian and Muslim communities have been ongoing. 

Senior UN officials have warned that the violence in the large, sparsely populated country is in danger of spiralling into genocide.

During a visit to Bangui on Saturday, the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, said French and African soldiers serving in the Central African Republic were being overwhelmed by the state of anarchy in the country.

The council resolution urges the Central African Republic transitional authorities "to accelerate the preparations in order to hold free, fair, transparent and inclusive presidential and legislative elections no later than February 2015".

Meanwhile, at least 13 people were killed when Christian militia forces attacked a town held by Muslim Seleka rebels in a rural area of Central African Republic.

Residents said the fighting in Dekoa, 300 km north of the capital Bangui, raged for hours when the 'anti-balaka' militia attacked Seleka positions in the early hours of the morning.