'Cannibalism' as CAR implodes

Reports of cannibalism and other horror surfaced in the Central African Republic (CAR) at the weekend as Christian militias went on the rampage following the resignation of the country's Muslim president.

Western-backed peace-keepers, including French and AU troops, were attempting to restore order after mobs destroyed mosques and attacked Muslim neighbourhoods in the capital, Bangui.

The mobs sensed that they had the upper hand when regional mediators brought about the resignation on Friday of President Michel Djotodia, who last night was bound for exile in the West African state of Benin.

Sectarian violence has already claimed more than 1000 lives in the CAR in the past month, and at the weekend eyewitnesses spoke of members of a machete-wielding gang eating parts of the body of a Muslim man killed on Tuesday.

The reports have echoes of the grisly stories about the country's late dictator, Jean Bedel Bokassa, who was alleged to have practised cannibalism during his rule between 1966 and 1979.

Weekend reports were corroborated by an aid worker who spoke to The Sunday Telegraph. He said: "They were taking machetes to people, burning the bodies and eating them."

The violence was said to have been in retaliation for rampages by Djotodia's Seleka militias, who helped him seize power in the CAR last March.

The first Muslim leader to wield power over the CAR's Christian majority, his rule triggered 10 months of instability that has led to a fifth of the population being displaced, and to France ordering peacekeepers into the former colony in late November.

Paris acted after warnings from the UN of all-out civil war in the land-locked country, the sixth-poorest in the world.

According to Pastor Antoine Mbaobogo, a resident of Bangui, at least three people died overnight on Friday, including a Christian vigilante. Sporadic gunfire was heard throughout the city as looters broke down the doors of shops in Muslim neighbourhoods.

"Those who were looted when the [mainly Muslim] Seleka arrived are now looting in turn," Mbaobogo said.

There were also fears of retaliation by the Seleka rebels, as several mosques were attacked and dismantled by looters.

"It's impossible to live with the Muslims," one of the looters said.

"We don't want Arabs in Central Africa."

Djotodia, who studied in the Soviet Union and worked as a tax official before becoming a rebel commander, promised an inclusive government when he seized power. But his failure to disarm and rein in his militias cost him the confidence of key regional allies such as Chad, which then pressured him to step down.

Candidates to replace Djotodia have yet to emerge, but the interim parliament, whose members returned from a regional crisis summit in Chad yesterday, is due to hold a special session today. The head of the transitional body, Alexandre-Ferdinand Nguendet, will be temporary head of state for a maximum of 15 days.

Though his departure and exile is expected to ease tensions in the long term, diplomats believe more peacekeepers are needed to stop the flare-ups.

France has deployed 1600 troops in the country to support the AU force.

Last week European nations agreed in principle on a plan to launch a military operation, with a final decision expected on January 20, an EU source said.

With much of the CAR's 4.5million people in need of food aid, agencies have warned of a major humanitarian crisis in the overcrowded refugee camps.