Christians Fight Back Against Muslims In Central African Republic

From the BBC:

In the Central African Republic, villages are emptying as Muslims flee to nearby Chad for safety. 

They are under attack from a Christian militia, the anti-balaka, who say they are taking revenge for atrocities committed against their communities by Muslims. 

The residents of the village of Boboua have tried to keep their community safe from harm, but the conflict has now reached even there, as Andrew Harding reports.

From the Christian Post:

Christian militia taking revenge on the Central African Republic's Muslim population could drive the entire Islamic group out of the country, a human rights group claimed earlier this week. 

The anti-balaka ("anti-machete") has increasingly fought back against the country's minority Muslim population since the Muslim Seleka rebel group antagonized the country's Christians. 

Human Rights Watch employees in the Central African Republic have claimed to have witnessed anti-balaka forces cutting "the throats of Muslim civilians, publicly lynching, mutilating, and setting their bodies on fire." 

It also reported attacks where the groups had cut off body parts or hacked Muslims to death. It pointed to Yaloké, which prior to the arrival of anti-balaka forces boasted an estimated Muslim population of 30,000 and eight mosques. 

Now, it is reported that the town has only one mosque and 500 Muslims. Many Muslim homes in the area were also looted by members of the Christian militia. 

The report also listed four other former "Muslim strongholds" that were now totally devoid of residents and whose shops and business have been looted by anti-balaka forces. 

Peter Bouckaert, Emergencies director at HRW, said there is a good chance that such terrors will drive out a Muslim population which has lived for hundreds of years in the region. 

"At this rate, if the targeted violence continues, there will be no Muslims left in much of the Central African Republic. People whose families have peacefully lived in the country for centuries are being forced to leave, or are fleeing the very real threat of violence against them," he said in a statement. 

HRW has said the type of language that the anti-balaka groups were using "suggests their intent is to eliminate Muslim residents from the Central African Republic." 

However, he added that so far the group has not used any religious language to try and justify its actions.

UPDATE -