Crowds attacked a mosque, looted houses and torched cars in Central African Republic’s capital yesterday, hours before French President Francois Hollande was due to visit.
Two French soldiers were killed overnight in an attack by gunmen in the capital, France’s first casual-ties in an operation to restore stability in its former colony, which is racked by fighting between Muslims and Christians.
Major gun battles have ended with the French deployment but French troops have traded gunfire with gunmen in the capital, where religious tension is simmering.
Several lynchings were reported by residents overnight, adding to the toll of 465 killed since Thursday.
The country has been gripped by chaos since mainly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power in March. Months of looting, raping and killing since has brought reprisals by Christian militias and allies of ousted President Francois Bozize.
Michel Djotodia, rebel leader-turned interim president, has largely lost control of his loose band of fighters, which includes many gunmen from Sudan and Chad.
Christians fled reprisals by Seleka gunmen following a failed offensive on Bangui last week but the French move to disarm all fighters has subsequently weakened Seleka’s influence in the capital, leading to counter-attacks.
In the Fouh neighbourhood yesterday, a Reuters correspondent saw civilians armed with wooden clubs and machetes attack a mosque and nearby houses.
The UN refugee agency UNHCR said about 100,000 people had fled their homes in Bangui in the past few days, bringing to more than half a million the number of displaced countrywide since the crisis began a year ago.