Fighting came to the capital of Central African Republic on Thursday, leaving dozens of casualties and posing the biggest threat yet to the new government just as the U.N. Security Council authorized an intervention force to prevent a bloodbath between Christians and Muslims, reports ABC News.
Thursday's fighting was the most significant attack in the capital since a rebel coalition called Seleka seized power in March. Underscoring the chaos, even the president's and prime minister's homes were looted.
Hours later, the U.N. Security Council authorized increased military action Thursday by France and African troops to try to end near-anarchy in the highly volatile former French colony.
The council unanimously approved the French-sponsored resolution. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, who had warned that the Central African Republic is on "the verge of genocide," and said military intervention would unfold swiftly, telling BFM-TV that the French deployment would total around 1,200, with 600 troops already in place.
At least 16 people were killed and 45 were wounded in Thursday's violence, said Sylvain Groulx of Doctors Without Borders. There could be many more bodies though — Groulx said the death toll consisted only of bodies taken to two hospitals in Bangui.
Read more of this AP report published by ABC News.