UN warns of escalating violence in CAR

The situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) has “greatly deteriorated” lately and the violence along religious lines between Muslims and Christians has increased significantly, a UN official has warned Under Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman told the Security Council that access to residential neighbourhoods in Bangui, the capital, is controlled either by ‘anti-Christian’ or ‘anti-Muslim’ checkpoints, and clashes between the two communities continue daily elsewhere in the country.

“The danger of escalation into sustained violence along religious lines remains real, with the potential for long-term danger to the country … There is a very real risk that the crisis could spread beyond the country’s borders and further destabilize the region,” Feltman warned.