Clashes in Central African Republic kill 20

Days of clashes have claimed the lives of at least 20 people and left several others injured in the Central African Republic (CAR), security sources say.

An unnamed police source told AFP on Tuesday that most of the victims were "shot dead in the Bornou and Kidjigra areas."

The source put the toll at 20 dead and "many injured." Several other sources have also confirmed the death toll.

The violent clashes between primarily Christian anti-Balaka militants and members of the Muslim Seleka group in the central region of Bambari erupted on August 20, following the death of a young Muslim, who was beaten to death by armed anti-Balaka militants.

The violence had claimed the lives of at least 10 people and injured another five by the following day. The clashes erupted again on August 23, following a brief lull in the violence.

Isidore Andjizago, a local resident, said on Tuesday that "calm seems to have returned. The town is deserted and there is no more sound of gunfire."

The calm was restored to the troubled region after representatives from the government and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) arrived on Monday "to try to convince the two camps to cease hostilities," Andjizago said.

The relative calm has been restored to the embattled capital, Bangui, in recent months. However, many areas in other provinces remain lawless, stalked by armed groups and bandits.

The Central African Republic has been troubled by turmoil since December 2013, when Christian armed groups launched coordinated attacks against the country’s Muslim population, seeking revenge for the ouster of the government in March of that year by the mostly Muslim Seleka group.

Reports say more than 5,000 people have been killed in the Central African Republic since December 2013.

On December 5, France invaded its former colony after the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution giving the African Union and France the go-ahead to send troops to the Central African Republic. However, foreign troops have so far failed to contain the violence.

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