RCA: Perspectivas terríveis

GENEVA, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- The violations of human rights in Central African Republic (CAR) remained dire, said the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Tuesday. The preliminary findings of the OHCHR revealed a cycle of widespread human rights violations and reprisals, including extra judicial killings, sexual violence, mutilations, enforced disappearances, ill-treatment, rape and the deliberate targeting of civilians based on their religion. The report came after a four-person human rights monitoring team deployed by the UN human rights office in CAR carried out 183 interviews in the chaotic African country with victims, witnesses, and other relevant interlocutors. "The widespread lawlessness and gross human rights violations highlighted in these preliminary findings confirm the need for urgent action and accountability," Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement. In recent days, the severity of on-the-ground situation in the central African country remained extreme, as the OHCHR highlighted, and despite that the number of clashes appeared to have slightly reduced, some 40 people were reported to have been killed in the capital, Bangui alone since Friday. A number of kidnappings, mutilations and widespread looting also occurred over the weekend in the country. Pillay warned that "despite some important reconciliation efforts in Bangui, the situation remains extremely volatile and dangerous," calling for serious intervention to stop further attacks. CAR has been thrown into turmoil since Seleka rebels launched attacks a year ago and forced president Francois Bozize to flee in March, 2013. A transitional government was formed heading by interim president of Michel Djotodia since then but armed clashes erupted again. Last month, Christians and Muslims launched reprisal attacks against each other in and around Bangui, worsening humanitarian situation. Djotodia and prime minister Nicolas Tiangaye were forced to resign on Friday. Alexandre-Ferdinand Nguendet, who has been serving as the speaker of the CNT since Djotodia came to power, has been serving as the country's leader since Saturday and he is expected to hasten the process of electing a new president and prime minister. Statistics from UN showed that nearly 1 million people have fled their home in the ongoing conflict in CAR and more than 2 million are in need of humanitarian aid there. The UN human rights office said that Pillay would give a fuller account of the team's findings, and an update on the current human rights situation in the country during the Human Rights Council Special Session on Jan. 20.