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France vows to protect Muslims, others, threatened in Central Africa

PARIS, April 8 (KUNA) - France said on Tuesday that it continues to seek to protect all populations that are threatened by communal violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) but urged that displacing endangered populations must be "a last resort" for authorities.
Mainly Muslim populations are under regular and sustained attack by hostile Christian militias and international humanitarian organisations have warned against an "ethnic cleansing" of Muslims from CAR.
Asked by KUNA about this risk, Foreign Ministry spokesman Romain Nadal said that it was France which had "alerted the international community" about the risks of sectarian violence and it was France which had deployed 2,000 troops initially to try to keep the peace and bolster the African peace-keeping force.
Nadal further added that France has "a mandate to protect populations" and he noted that air force planes had been used to help evacuate Muslim populations since December 2013, particularly those in "immediate danger." "France is attached to the protection of all populations in the Central African Republic, including, obviously, Muslim populations which are the target of intolerable threats and attacks," Nadal explained. "France believes that the displacement of populations must be a last resort," the spokesman added, but stressed that this might take place to guarantee the security and access to humanitarian aid of populations. (End) jk.ajs