BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — The United Nations is taking over from an African peacekeeping mission trying to stabilize Central African Republic.
As of Monday, about 1,500 more troops are joining the existing force of 4,800 African soldiers currently in the country ravaged by sectarian fighting.
Human rights groups note though this is only a little over half of what was authorized by the U.N. Security Council back in April.
The U.N. says the force will reach its full capacity sometime early next year, and says it hasn’t been easy to amass the troops and equipment needed for the mission.
Central African Republic exploded into violence last December. More than 5,000 people have died over the last nine months, according to an Associated Press tally.
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