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22 Dead in CAR village attacks
At least 22 people were killed in a string of raids on villages in Central African Republic (CAR) this week, a local official and state radio said at the weekend.
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This happened as an escalation of violence threatened to derail a visit by the pope and crucial elections.
Already, Pope Francis had hinted that his trip, scheduled for November 28 and 29, could be canceled if the attacks worsen, though government and church authorities in the capital Bangui have sought to offer assurances that the visit will be peaceful.
The former French colony descended into inter-religious violence two and a half years ago after mainly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power, sparking reprisal killings by Christian anti-balaka militias.
Armed men cut the throats of 10 people in the village of Ndassima before carrying out an overnight attack nearby in Mala, said local administrator Yves Mbetigaza.
"They came from two places, some from Bambari and others from Mbres," he said.
While a report on national radio described the attackers only as armed members of the Peul ethnic group, Mbetigaza said they were Seleka fighters, adding that eight villagers were kidnapped in Mala and dozens of others were missing.
Six hunters were killed last Thursday in the village of Bandambou, Mbetigaza said.
The killings put the death toll from violence this week at over 30. And though dozens have died in inter-religious fighting in Bangui since late September, the village raids highlight the rampant insecurity that plagues much of the countryside.
