Former President Francois Bozize and his allies have been accused of inciting the violence, which erupted after the constitutional court rejected his candidacy in December
Former President Francois Bozize and his allies have been accused of inciting the violence, which erupted after the constitutional court rejected his candidacy in December.
Last week, rebels opposed to Touadera's re-election tried to invade the capital, Bangui, the first attack of its kind in nearly eight years. Security forces backed by U.N. peacekeepers ultimately repelled the attack, which was blamed on Bozize and his allies.
The mineral-rich Central African Republic has faced deadly inter-communal fighting since 2013, when predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power from Bozize after long claiming marginalization. Resistance to Seleka's rule eventually led to Muslims being targeted en masse, with some beaten to death, mosques destroyed and tens of thousands forced from the capital in 2014.
