(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) France on Wednesday welcomed the findings of the International Contact Group on the Central African Republic (CAR), which met in the capital, Bangui, a day earlier and confirmed the international community's commitment to resolving the bloody crisis there.
France has deployed a total of 2,000 troops in CAR, alongside hundreds of European Union forces and several thousand African troops to try to stop the sectarian civil strife. The US has also sent a small contingent to help the task of keeping order.
At least 5,000 people are reported to have died according to independent observers in the past 11 months of violence.
In recent months thousands of Muslims have died in sectarian attacks as their community has been heavily targeted in Christian areas after the Muslim-led leadership was pushed aside and replaced with a transitional administration.
Hundreds of thousands of Muslims have fled CAR to neighbouring nations, notably Chad. Muslims used to make up about 15 percent of the just over 4.5 million population of CAR but that percentage has dropped since the major fighting erupted late last year.
Violence is still sporadically reported in Bangui but also mainly in outlying districts where both Christian and Muslim militias operate and there have been serious clashes with peacekeeping forces, several of whom have been killed.
"We reaffirm our support for the transitional authorities, which must complete the tasks for which they are responsible, especially the preparation of the elections and the political dialogue within the framework of the Bangui forum," the French statement said here.
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