Gunfire, protests erupt in Bangui
NAN-F-20
Protest
Bangui, Oct. 24, 2016 (Reuters/NAN) U.N. peacekeepers and armed men exchanged fire on Monday in Central African Republic’s capital Bangui, while hundreds of protesters gathered to call for the mission’s departure, the UN said.
According to the report, crowds gathered near a major roundabout, carrying anti-U.N. posters, throwing stones and shouting at their troops who responded with warning shots.
“One injured man was carried into a police truck, but it was unclear how he was wounded.
“Central African Republic has been in chaos since early 2013, when fighting between mostly Muslim Seleka rebels and anti-Balaka Christian militias prompted the establishment of the MINUSCA mission a year later.
“Criticism of the 13,000-strong mission has mounted in recent weeks with local people accusing the peacekeepers of not doing enough to protect them.
“Civil society groups called for a general strike on Monday to pressure the mission to leave,’’ the report said.
An eye witness who is an Information Technology expert, Didier Balandegue said “we have seen that their mission has no use and it’s just better that they leave.
Spokesman for MINUSCA Herve Verhoosel said a brief firefight broke out in the morning when a U.N. patrol was fired at by unidentified armed men.
“There were other cases where we fired warning shots and removed barricades,” he said by telephone, adding that he was not aware of any casualties.
“The streets are now calm, he said.
The civil society groups launched a petition last week calling for MINUSCA’s departure and the rearming of the national armed forces, currently subject to an arms embargo. (Reuters/NAN)
OYE/OU
======
Edited by Damilola Oyewole/Obike Ukoh
==============================