admin
BRUSSELS. – African and European leaders opened crisis talks yesterday on the “terrifying” violence in the Central African Republic where peacekeepers have been unable to stop a deadly spiral of Christian-Muslim strife. As leaders of the two continents headed into Brussels for a mammoth summit locking down parts of the city, 13 European Union and 12 African leaders gathered for crisis talks on the situation in CAR with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
The UN chief is seeking endorsement from the Security Council for a 12 000-strong peacekeeping force to take over from the 8 000 African and French troops there.
On the eve of the summit the EU finally launched a rare military mission to send 1 000 troops to CAR, delayed by insufficient troop and aircraft commitments from the bloc’s 28 member states.
Ban has warned the situation could spiral into genocide amid reports by the UN of child decapitations, cannibalism and widespread lynchings.
“We are deeply concerned of the desperate plight of the people of the CAR,” Ban said.
“At today’s meeting I will urge all countries to strongly consider providing badly needed additional troops and police and providing funding and support.”
Illegal migration, trade and security problems and jihadist turmoil elsewhere in Africa will also be addressed at the two-day summit.
The summit comes more than three years after late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi hosted the last EU-Africa summit in Tripoli. – AFP.
Online Reporter