Inside Story

Holy war in the Central African Republic?

We ask if the violence in the CAR is turning into a religious war.

Christian militias in Central African Republic have been accused of committing ethnic cleansing against Muslims. And Amnesty International blames international peacekeepers for not doing enough to prevent it. 

Now, thousands of frightened Muslims are leaving their homes, hoping they will be safe in neighbouring countries.

The current cycle of violence began when Muslim Seleka rebels seized power a year ago. Since then Christian militias known as the anti-Balaka have waged a campaign against Muslims, in what they perceive as venegance for Seleka crimes.

On this edition of Inside Story, we ask: Is the situation spiralling out of control?

Presenter: Sami Zeidan

Guests: Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of Pan African News Wire

Donatella Rovera, senior investigator on crisis response for Amnesty International and recently visited the CAR