French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian heads to the Central African Republic on Sunday to formally end Operation Sangaris, begun three years ago to halt mass killings there but which failed to disarm militias terrorizing the population.
The formal end to the French mission comes as a fresh wave of bloodshed shook the troubled nation, spearheaded by rival Muslim and Christian militia groups.
“France is not giving up on Central Africa,” Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Thursday, highlighting the presence of more than 10,000 UN peacekeepers from the MINUSCA mission.
But many Central Africans are worried about the departure of the French troops, who were urgently deployed following a wave of bloodshed in December 2013.
“Armed groups are getting ready. And I’m afraid they will start an all-out offensive when the French have left,” a senior political figure told AFP, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject.
“The militias fear the French troops but not the UN force.”
In recent weeks, people have been living in fear as armed groups have resumed their acts of violence in the interior of the country, leaving dozens dead.
On Thursday and Friday alone, at least 25 people were killed, among them six members of the security forces following clashes in the central town of Bambari and the surrounding area, MINUSCA said.
According to several Central African sources contacted by AFP, several hundreds of heavily-armed Seleka gunmen from rival factions have begun gathering in Batangafo, some 350 kilometres (220 miles) north of Bangui.
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