Central African republic on the brink of genocide

By PETER WANYONYI

AFRICA: The Central African Republic (Car) is a wretched place to be. Since independence from France in 1960, it has gone through five coups and survived a lavish self-coronation by the crazy Jean Bedel Bokassa, who virtually bankrupted the country in the process.

But it somehow rose again, spurred on by the incredible diamond, gold, timber and uranium riches in the country’s interior. In March, then-president Bozize fled the country after a Christian-Muslim alliance of militias descended on the capital, Bangui.

A Muslim leader took over, and there was hope that peace would finally be restored — despite the fleeing of a bunch of South African troops that Jacob Zuma had sent over.

Alas, it wasn’t to be, and the Car is now descending into unspeakable horror.

Rabidly

The alliance that toppled Bozize has turned on itself, breaking up into religious factions rabidly opposed to each other. It appears the new president, Michel Djotodia, is in office but not in power, and the Muslim branch of the alliance — which claims the president as a member — has turned into a genocide machine.

 Calling themselves Seleka and claiming to be Muslims, they are slitting the throats of non-Muslims with alacrity.

 Rwanda — always reliably watchful on matter genocide — has raised the alarm. The response by the United Nations is non-existent, while regional leaders in East and Central Africa appear unconcerned.

France is drafting a UN Resolution, which is expected to while and wend its way through the labyrinthine bureaucracy of the Security Council in a couple months.

Peacekeeping

In the meantime, the Seleka are butchering with abandon; the African Peacekeeping Force in the country is too small to act, while the elite French troops based in the country are, just like in Rwanda in 1994, loathe to intervene. Another African genocide looms in the CAR.