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Christian Militants Drive Out Muslims in Central African Republic 'Ethnic Cleansing'

  • Carrie Dedrick Religious persecution, missions, Christianity around the world
  • Updated May 30, 2014

Militants in Central African Republic (CAR) have broken out in violence, as Christian militants attempt to drive out Muslims.

A report from nonprofit Open Door said, “Early Thursday morning, a large number of young people and anti-Balaka members flooded the streets, also around the area where we are. They used large tires they set on fire to block the roads. They demonstrated against the Burundian contingent in Misca. More and more people joined the protest. A revenge attack is likely. We can’t go anywhere. There is constant gunfire.”

Since the report was released, the Muslim mosque was destroyed with no known injuries reports Mission News Network.

Jim Hocking, chief executive officer of Water for Good, believes that the conflict is not simply Christians against Muslims. “In my humble opinion, it is more an ethnic cleansing,” said Jim Hocking.

The Christian anti-balaka forces first formed in the 1990s to protect their communities, but the militants have now driven out most followers of Islam. The Muslim population was once somewhere between 30,000 and 50,000 people. Now about 900 remain.

Hocking said that the Muslim population used to control the nation’s economy. “The question remains for most of us: who’s going to pick up that huge piece that’s been left open? There’s nobody really ready to pick up that piece of the lost economy that was run by the Muslims."

 

Publication date: May 30, 2014