DHAKA: New violence and looting in the Central African Republic`s capital, Bangui, left at least nine people dead, including two more lynchings of minority Muslims.

The latest assaults in the former French colony included mob attacks and an assassination attempt targeting the former justice minister.

Fighting broke out on Saturday evening between Christian vigilantes and Muslims in the west of Bangui where many buildings were torched, witnesses and humanitarian officials told media.

A resident news agency that the Muslim killer of a Christian woman was lynched and killed before his body was burned and deposited in front of the local town hall, where it could be seen early on Sunday.

A suspected Christian militia member killed another Muslim civilian, and was about to burn the body when Rwandan soldiers of the African peacekeeping force MISCA shot him, a witness who gave his name as Innocent told media.

The shooting prompted an angry crowd to shout slogans against the Rwandan soldiers, whom they mistakenly believed to be Muslim. Five other people were killed in unclear circumstances, the witnesses said.

Peter Bouckaert of Human Rights Watch, the New York-based rights organization, confirmed the witness reports and said another Muslim was lynched early on Sunday near Bangui`s central market.

Source: aljazeera.com
BDST: 1035 HRS, FEB 10, 2014