CAR faces threat of food crisis

Aid organisations have warned that the continued exodus of Muslims from the Central African Republic (CAR) could lead to a catastrophic market collapse.

Oxfam and Action Against Hunger say fewer than 10 wholesalers remain in the capital, Bangui, with many considering leaving the country.

As a result, they warn staple food supplies could dry up and prices rise.

With 90% of the population estimated by the UN to eat one meal a day, there are fears the situation could worsen.

Buying meat? Don't even think about it, there is none. The Fulani and nomadic Chadians that used to drive their cattle to Bangui have decided to head for Cameroon”

Violence between the Christian majority and Muslims has torn the country apart since a coup last year. Tens of thousands of Muslims have already fled the country to neighbouring Cameroon and Chad.

Backbone of the economy
Meat is already scarce because cattle herders have fled into the bush and, when available, it is twice as expensive as it was, says the BBC's West Africa correspondent Thomas Fessy.

Many of the Muslims chased out by Christian militias were the backbone of the local economy, he adds.

Some 96% of farmers are without access to seeds, the UN says, just under a month before the main planting season.

The violence is preventing food from getting into the country with hundreds of food lorries stuck at the border with Cameroon because many drivers fear being attacked by armed groups.

The consequences of failing to protect those who remain, Oxfam says, could be disastrous for everyone.

arlier, Human Rights Watch (HRW) told the BBC the religious violence could force CAR's entire Muslim population to flee.

HRW emergency director Peter Bouckaert said this could affect the economy, as Muslims control the livestock market and other businesses.

The CAR, one of Africa's poorest nations, has been in chaos for more than a year since Muslim Seleka rebels seized power.

Coup leader Michel Djotodia, who became the CAR's first Muslim leader, resigned as interim president last month as part of a regional peace process.

However, violence, largely perpetrated by either Christian anti-Balaka militias or Seleka members, has continued despite interventions by thousands of peacekeepers from the African Union and the former colonial power, France.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk

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