Seleka rebels
In a troubled CAR city, Muslims return after flight
Two years ago, Abdullahye, a Muslim in his 50s, fled his house in Bangassou, a city in the south-eastern Central African Republic (CAR), ahead of an onslaught...
Often armed with little more than Kalashnikov assault rifles, these men must contend with rebel groups who can be far better equipped.
A UN commission of inquiry found that Christian militias under Yekatom had carried out war crimes and crimes against humanity by targeting Muslims.
Unidentified armed assailants attacked the Notre Dame de Fatima church in the capital Bangui, initially killing at least 15 and critically wounding scores of others.
It is not clear if they were all killed in the church attack itself or during skirmishes that occurred afterwards in the surrounding area.
Fighting in the last two weeks has hit the towns of Bria, Bangassou and Alindao, all hundreds of kilometres east of the capital Bangui.
The clashes come amid a week of intense violence between mainly Muslim fighters from the former Seleka rebel coalition.
The clashes come amid a week of intense violence between mainly Muslim fighters from the former Seleka rebel coalition and anti-balaka Christian militias.
Months of killings between Muslims and Christians ensued, resulting in thousands of deaths, until elections last year ushered in relative calm.
Central African Republic descended into chaos in 2013 when mainly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power.
The clashes took place in the town of Bria, about 600 km northeast of the capital Bangui.
Hundreds of villagers, already refugees from earlier violence, then fled in the direction of the UN base.
Albert Mokpeme said the killings took place in the village of Ndomete, not far from the town of Kaga-Bandoro.
Noureddine Adam had been dubbed enemy number one by the government, which had called for his arrest.
Doctors without borders says almost 3,000 people have been killed in the CAR.
Muslim and Christian groups stand accused of committing abuses.
The order follows calls for a nationwide disobedience campaign to protest against violence.
The peacekeepers have been accused of detaining, abusing, torturing and killing civilians.
A tense calm has returned to Bangui following two days of violence ignited by an attack by Muslim gunmen.