Bangui (Central African
Republic) (AFP) - The self-proclaimed leader of the Central African
Republic's Christian-dominated vigilantes warned President Catherine
Samba Panza on Thursday against any crackdown against his group.
"Declaring war on the
anti-balaka amounts to declaring war on the Central African population,"
Richard Bejouane told hundreds of militiamen gathered in Bangui.
The anti-balaka
("anti-machete" in the local Sango language) militias were initially
self-defence groups formed in response to abuses committed by rogue
ex-rebels from the mainly Muslim Seleka coalition that seized power in
March 2013.
With the remnants of
Seleka on the back foot since France deployed 1,600 soldiers two months
ago, most of the ongoing violence is now blamed on the anti-balaka's
attacks.
Samba Panza, a Christian
who took over as interim president last month from ex-Seleka boss
Michel Djotodia, said Wednesday her administration was "going to go to
war against the anti-balaka."
"The anti-balaka have lost their sense of mission. They are now the ones who kill, who pillage, who are violent," she said.
Amnesty International this week reported that anti-balaka violence had triggered "a Muslim exodus of historic proportions".
"The anti-balaka
militias are increasingly organised and using language that suggests
their intent is to eliminate Muslim residents" from the country, Human
Rights watch said on Wednesday.
The French contingent
and more than 5,000 African Union peacekeepers have been unable to stem a
looting pandemic and cycle of revenge attacks.
"We are ready to be billeted," said Bejouane, claiming that anti-balaka ranks numbered 52,000, including 12,000 in the capital.
The international forces
attempting to restore order and usher the country towards democratic
polls have ruled out including the anti-balaka in the DDR (disarmament,
demobilisation and reintegration) programme applied to Seleka.
General Francisco
Soriano, who has been heading up France's Sangaris operation in the
Central African Republic, cast doubt on Bejouane's legitimacy as a
leader.
"Who are the
anti-balaka? Who is their boss? What is their political message? What is
their chain of command?," he said on Monday.
"Nobody knows anything.
It's a network we're unable to put a face on," Soriano said, describing
them as "the principal enemies of peace", who should be treated as
"bandits".
The first anti-balaka
vigilantes emerged in August 2013 near Bossangoa, Djotodia's home region
around 250 kilometres (150 miles) north of Bangui.
Their equipment was at
first very rudimentary -- bows and arrows, homemade hunting rifles,
machetes and amulets for "protection".
They were soon joined by
forces loyal to ousted president Francois Bozize armed with assault
rifles, mortars and rocket-launchers.
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