Boda (Western CAR) — Anti-balaka militia fighters at the diamond mining town of Boda in the Central African Republic (CAR) have rejected a government-sponsored attempt to allow a Muslim community of about 12,000 people to stay there. A spokesman for an anti-balaka militia group in the town of Boda, who gave his name as Edgar Flavien, told IRIN on 19 March that it could not accept the Muslims continued presence in the town. We dont want the Muslims to stay here, he said. They have burned our houses and killed our relatives. We dont want them in the CAR or in Boda. He was commenting on a statement by a government adviser that the anti-balaka in Boda had made a commitment not to attack Muslims and to cooperate fully with French peacekeepers. Boda is one of the last holdouts for the Muslim population in western CAR, most of whom have fled the country since December, and one of the few towns outside the capital where the French peacekeeping mission, Sangaris, has deployed troops. If we have to leave here, then we are finished in the west of the country, diamond dealer Mahamat Adoum told IRIN. But he said he could see little hope of them staying despite the combined efforts of peacekeepers and aid workers. All the Muslims in Boda that IRIN spoke to during a brief visit of only three hours, when asked if they wanted to leave, said Yes.4more allafrica/c/-58F4J
Posted on: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 07:00:57 +0000
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