Tension remains high in Central African Republic due to presence of ex-Seleka rebels

Despite appeals for peace by Transition President Catherine Samba Panza, tension is still high in Bangui, the capital of Central African Republic, and other towns where ex-Seleka rebels have weapons and vehicles. The ex-rebels have acquired about 50 vehicles and reinforced their presence in towns such as Sibut, 180 km northeast of the capital, Marcelin Youyou, a member of Central African Republic's National Transition Council (CNT), which is acting as the transition parliament, told Xinhua on Thursday. "These armed men arrived in the town and started demanding the division of Central African Republic into two; Muslim North and Christian South," Youyou said. The CNT member rejected the idea of dividing the country, just as she did when it was first proposed by senior officials of the ex-rebels led by Michel Djotodia, who was forced by Central African leaders to resign as the transition president on Jan. 10, 2014. A source in the northern mining town of Bria told Xinhua the presence of Seleka fighters are posing a serious security threat to local people, who are being held hostage. "There is no life here. It is the ex-Seleka rebels who are controlling everything. They loot and kill at will," the resident of the town said, complaining like all other residents that they have been abandoned by the administrators. In Berberati, another important mining town in the west of the country, the ex-rebels allegedly composed of Chadian and Sudanese mercenaries, have been terrorizing the residents. "They have stolen vehicles and they have threatened to start killing the people," Mahamat Djibrine Ali, a local journalist, told Xinhua on phone. On Thursday, parts of Bangui witnessed fierce fighting between ex-Seleka rebels and the anti-Balaka militia. The fighting left many people dead and made it difficult to rescue trapped civilians and take them to safe camps, witnesses reported. However, African troops under the auspices of the International Support Mission for Mali (MISCA) and French troops managed to evacuate some Muslims from Miskine and KM5 areas for safety reasons.