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UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Muslim and Christian leaders of the Central African Republic are pleading for the U.N. Security Council to hurry and deploy peacekeepers to a country that's been ripped apart by sectarian violence.
In a joint appearance at the United Nations, the presidents of the country's Muslim and evangelical communities and the archbishop of Bangui warned Friday that if quick action isn't taken, the "partition of CAR will lead to genocidal war."
The U.N. chief's special adviser on genocide prevention, Adama Dieng, told the informal council session that about 20 percent of the country's Muslims are left in Central African Republic, meaning the others have fled or died.
The U.N. describes the exodus as "ethnic-religious cleansing."
The United States ambassador to the U.N., Samantha Power, tweeted, "Must deploy UN Pkeeping Mission ASAP."
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