CAIRO – A leading Muslim organization has vigorously condemned the genocide of Muslims in Central African Republic, urging the world community to send neutral troops to stop this genocide immediately, and work to achieve security for all citizens.

“The crisis in CAR has turned into genocide perpetrated against Muslim citizens of the country, with mute response from the world community, in an accident that reminds of the genocide of Tutsi in the Republic of Rwanda which has disgraced humanity till today,” the Union of African Scholars said in a statement obtained by AboutIslam.net.

“The terrible methods of these crimes, including mutilating and burning victims alive in front of cameras, even without sparring women and children, necessitate proper reaction by chasing those criminals and bringing them to justice,” the Union added.

Over the past weeks, thousands of terrified civilian Muslims fled for their lives to escape killings, looting and harassment by armed militias drawn from the Christian majority in the city.

Their flight follows months of escalating attacks on Muslims in the strife-torn republic.

Going from door to door, anti-Balaka Christian militias have raided Muslim homes, killing children and women, looting and vandalizing properties, the UN report revealed.

Commenting on CAR strife, Amnesty International issued a report last week, warning that Anti-Balaka fighters in the Central African Republic were trying to “ethnically cleanse Muslims”.

The human rights organization has also accused French peacekeeping forces of failing to protect the threatened Muslim minority.

Following the terrible genocide of Muslims, the Union of African Scholars has accused French troops of taking sides with Christian anti-Balaka militias.

“Lack of impartiality displayed by the French troops in disarming the militias, in addition to the weakness of the African troops, have allowed the Christian militias to commit these atrocities without fear,” the statement read.

Scholars have also blamed the African Union for failing to carry out its responsibilities, prompting the fear of repeating the scenario of Rwanda tragedy in the continent.

Urgent Action

The Union has urged an international action to save the region from the escalating threat of ethnic and religious wars.

“The Union of African Scholars sends an urgent appeal to the international community; including states and organizations, to send neutral forces to stop this genocide immediately, and work to achieve security for all citizens regardless of their race or religion,” the Union’s statement read.

On its part, the union decided to dedicate the following Friday (Jum`ah) prayer on February 21 in Africa and world mosques to “induce solidarity with Muslims in Central Africa and to pray for the return of peace and stability to this afflicted country,” it added.

Another fundraising campaign was also urged in all states to assist internally displaced citizens as well as refugees in Chad, Cameroon and the Congo.

CAR, a mineral-rich, landlocked country, descended into anarchy in March of last year when Seleka rebels ousted François Bozize, a Christian, who had come to power in a 2003 coup.

Last January, Catherine Samba-Panza, the mayor of Bangui, was sworn in as CAR’s first female president.

She replaced Michel Djotodia, the country’s first Muslim president since its independence from France in 1960, who stepped down earlier this month due to international and regional pressure.

Over the past weeks, anti-balaka Christian militias have raided Muslim homes killing children and women and looting and vandalizing properties.

Inter-religious violence has claimed thousands of lives and displaced a million people in the population of 4.6 million, yet such clashes are unprecedented in the poor, landlocked country.

Along with killing, kidnapping, torture and arbitrary arrest and detention, in the war-torn CAR, a UN investigation found evidences of sexual violence.

Two cases of cannibalism have been reported too, one of which appeared on the BBC, showing a Christian man chewing the flesh of a Muslim driver killed by Christian mobs.