UN urged to boost Central Africa peacekeeping mission

Human Rights Watch on Tuesday called on the United Nations to boost security forces in the Central African Republic, a day after France ended its peacekeeping mission in the strife-torn country.
The UN force Minusca has been left alone to combat militias terrorising civilians now that France has wrapped up its Sangaris operation in its troubled former colony.
“The UN should urgently deploy more of the mission’s forces to the volatile central region, expand their patrols and, consistent with the mission’s mandate, use appropriate force to protect civilians under imminent threat,” HRW said.
The shutdown of the French operation came just hours after around 10 people were killed in clashes between armed groups in the capital Bangui on Sunday.
Both Minusca and HRW published reports over the last couple of days documenting the aftermath of an attack last month in the town of Kaga-Bandoro by Muslim Seleka rebels that left at least 37 people dead and 57 wounded.