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111-593: Later, however, the CPJP joined the Séléka alliance which overthrew president François Bozizé in March 2013. On August 25, 2012, the CPJP, represented by Abdoulaye Hissène , signed a peace agreement with the government following up on the 2011 ceasefire. A faction of the CPJP rejected the peace agreement and split off under the leadership of Hassan Al Habib . It goes by the name of "Fundamental CPJP". On September 15, 2012

222-845: A UN peacekeeping force from the UN Security Council , and on 31 May former president Bozizé was indicted for crimes against humanity and incitement of genocide. On the same day as the 5 December attacks, the UN Security Council authorized the transfer of MICOPAX to the African Union –led peacekeeping mission, the International Support Mission in the Central African Republic (MISCA or AFISM-CAR), with troop numbers increasing from 2,000 to 6,000; it also authorized

333-523: A de facto partition of the country into Muslim and Christian areas as a result of the sectarian fighting, he also called the conflict an "urgent test" for the UN and the region's states. Amnesty International blamed the Anti-balaka militia of causing a "Muslim exodus of historic proportions." Samba-Panza suggested poverty and a failure of governance was the cause of the conflict. Some Muslims of

444-527: A Muslim is a person who has dedicated his worship exclusively to God, for just as we say in Arabic that something is ‘ salima ’ to a person, meaning that it became solely his own, so in the same way ‘ Islām ’ means making one's religion and faith God's alone. In several places in the Quran , the word muslim conveys a universal meaning, beyond the description of the followers of Muhammad , for example: "Abraham

555-521: A decree on 6 April for the formation of a transitional council that would act as a transitional parliament. The council was tasked with electing an interim president to serve during an 18-month transitional period leading to new elections. The transitional council, composed of 105 members, met for the first time on 13 April 2013 and immediately elected Djotodia as interim president; there were no other candidates. A few days later, regional leaders publicly accepted Djotodia's transitional leadership, but, in

666-423: A government official. Several witnesses over 60 km (37 mi) away said they could hear detonations and heavy weapons fire for a number of hours. Later, both a rebel leader and a military source confirmed the military attack was repelled and the town remained under rebel control. At least one rebel fighter was killed and three were wounded in the clashes, and the military's casualties were unknown. Meanwhile,

777-536: A mandate to use force, as well as threatening sanctions against those responsible for the violence. The E.U. had pledged 500 troops to aid African and French troops already in the country. Specifically the resolution allowed for the use of " all necessary measures " to protect civilians. The first batch of 55 EUFOR troops arrived in Bangui , according to the French army, and carried out its first patrol on 9 April with

888-459: A new legislative election be held within 12 months (with the possibility of postponement). In addition, the temporary coalition government had to implement judicial reforms, amalgamate the rebel troops with the Bozizé government's troops to establish a new national military, set up the new legislative elections, as well as introduce other social and economic reforms. Furthermore, Bozizé's government

999-518: A new rebel group formed in June 2019 called "Partie du Rassemblement de la Nation Centrafricaine" (PRNC) to oppose the peace deal, claiming that the deal is a way of rebel leaders to gain money and posts from the government. In September 2019, fighting between two rebel groups that signed the February 2019 deal, FPRC and the mostly Kara " Movement of Central African Liberators for Justice " (MLCJ), which

1110-515: A peaceful election , the former prime minister Faustin-Archange Touadéra was elected president. In October 2016, France announced that it was ending its peacekeeping mission in the country, Operation Sangaris , and largely withdrew its troops, saying that the operation was a success. By March 2014, the UNSC had authorised a probe into possible genocide, which in turn followed International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda initiating

1221-551: A person. Among Asharites , it is also seen as a sign of humility and the individual's longing to improve, because the creature has no assurance of their own state (of belief) until the end of life. The Qur'an describes many prophets and messengers within Judaism and Christianity , and their respective followers, as Muslim. Some of those that were mentioned are: Adam , Noah , Abraham , Ishmael , Jacob , Moses , and Jesus and his apostles are all considered to be Muslims in

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1332-499: A person. Fellow Muslims can only accept the personal declaration of faith. Only the Khawārij developed an understanding of Muslim identity based mainly on the adherence to liturgical and legal norms. When asked about one's beliefs, it is recommended to say the Istit̲h̲nāʾ , for example, " in-sha'allah I am Muslim a believer" (so God will, I am Muslim), since only God knows the future of

1443-583: A political party called Central African Party for Unity and Development (PCUD) but he had little control over the loose network of fighters. In May 2015, a national reconciliation conference organized by the transitional government of the Central Africa Republic took place. This was called the Bangui National Forum . The forum resulted in the adoption of a Republican Pact for Peace, National Reconciliation and Reconstruction and

1554-518: A preliminary investigation into the " extreme brutality " and whether it falls into the court's remit. The UNSC mandate probe would be led by Cameroonian lawyer Bernard Acho Muna, who was the deputy chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda , former Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Jorge Castañeda and Mauritanian lawyer Fatimata M'Baye. The ICC began prosecutions and Alfred Yekatom of

1665-433: A robust deployment to prevent FPRC taking the city and in February 2017, Joseph Zoundeiko , the chief of staff of FPRC who previously led the military wing of Séléka , was killed by MINUSCA after crossing one of the red lines. At the same time, MINUSCA negotiated the removal of Ali Darassa from the city. This led to UPC to find new territory, spreading the fighting from urban to rural areas previously spared. Additionally,

1776-589: A symbolic show of disapproval, stated that he would "not be called President of the Republic, but Head of State of the Transition". According to the plans for the transition, Djotodia would not stand as a candidate for president in the election that would conclude the transition. On 13 September 2013, Djotodia formally disbanded Séléka , which he had lost effective control of once the coalition had taken power. This had little actual effect in stopping abuses by

1887-685: Is "Muslim". For most of the 20th century, the preferred spelling in English was "Moslem", but this has now fallen into disuse. That spelling and its pronunciation was opposed by many Muslims in English-speaking countries because it resembled the Arabic word aẓ-ẓālim ( الظَّالِم ), meaning "the oppressor". In the United States, the Associated Press instructed news outlets to switch to the spelling "Muslim" in 1991, making it

1998-497: Is an ongoing civil war in the Central African Republic (CAR) involving the government, rebels from the Séléka coalition, and Anti-balaka militias. In the preceding Central African Republic Bush War (2004–2007), the government of President François Bozizé fought with rebels until a peace agreement in 2007. The current conflict arose when a new coalition of varied rebel groups, known as Séléka , accused

2109-582: Is in Bria . Darassa rebuffed multiple attempts to reunify Séléka and threatened FPRC's hegemony. Noureddine Adam declared the autonomous Republic of Logone or Dar El Kuti on 14 December 2015 and intended Bambari as the capital, with the transitional government denouncing the declaration and MINUSCA stating it will use force against any separatist attempt. Another group is the " Central African Patriotic Movement " (MPC), founded by Mahamat Al Khatim . Since 2014, there has been little government control outside of

2220-422: Is no god [worthy of worship] except Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah." In Sunni Islam , the shahada has two parts: la ilaha illa'llah (there is no god but Allah ), and Muhammadun rasul Allah ( Muhammad is the messenger of God), which are sometimes referred to as the first shahada and the second shahada . The first statement of the shahada is also known as the tahlīl . In Shia Islam ,

2331-399: Is the active participle of the same verb of which islām is a verbal noun , based on the triliteral S-L-M "to be whole, intact". A female adherent is a muslima ( Arabic : مسلمة ) (also transliterated as "Muslimah" ). The plural form in Arabic is muslimūn ( مسلمون ) or muslimīn ( مسلمين ), and its feminine equivalent is muslimāt ( مسلمات ). The ordinary word in English

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2442-585: The Shahada in front of Muslim witnesses, one of the Five Pillars of Islam , a declaration of faith and trust that professes that there is only one God ( Allah ) and that Muhammad is God's messenger. It is a set statement normally recited in Arabic: ašhadu ʾan-lā ʾilāha ʾillā-llāhu wa ʾašhadu ʾanna muħammadan rasūlu-llāh ( أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأشهد أن محمداً رسول الله ) "I testify that there

2553-709: The Americas . Additionally, in subdivided geographical regions, the figure stands at: 91% of the Middle East–North Africa , 90% of Central Asia , 65% of the Caucasus , 42% of Southeast Asia , 32% of South Asia , and 42% of sub-Saharan Africa . While, there are several Islamic schools and branches , as well as non-denominational Muslims , the two largest denominations are Sunni Islam (75–90% of all Muslims) and Shia Islam (10–20% of all Muslims). By sheer numbers, South Asia accounts for

2664-649: The Anti-balaka sides. Following the election, Samba-Panza made a speech in the parliament appealing to the Ex-Séléka and the Anti-balaka for putting down their weapons. On 27 January, Séléka leaders left Bangui under the escort of Chadian peacekeepers. The aftermath of Djotodia 's presidency was said to be without law, a functioning police and courts leading to a wave of violence against Muslims . The European Union decided to set up its first military operations in six years when foreign ministers approved

2775-650: The CAR contingent in Kaga-Bandoro , in preparation for a counter-attack on N'Délé . Séléka forces took Kabo on 19 December, a major hub for transport between Chad and CAR, located west and north of the areas previously taken by the rebels. On 18 December 2012, the Chadian group Popular Front for Recovery (FPR) announced their allegiance to the Séléka coalition. On 20 December 2012, a rebel group based in northern CAR,

2886-499: The CPC , in an offensive led by UPC , had taken the country's fourth largest city, Bambari , according to its mayor, but the UN stated that its peacekeepers had retaken the city the next day. On 28 December, it was announced by the electoral commission that 800 (14%) of polling stations failed to operate during the presidential and legislative elections due to violent attacks from armed rebels. On 3 January 2021, MINUSCA reported that

2997-584: The Democratic Front of the Central African People (FDPC) joined the Séléka coalition. Four days later the rebel coalition took over Bambari , the country's third largest town, followed by Kaga-Bandoro on 25 December. Rebel forces reached Damara , bypassing the town of Sibut where around 150 Chadian troops were stationed together with CAR troops that withdrew from Kaga-Bandoro. On 26 December, hundreds of protesters surrounded

3108-401: The Five Pillars of Islam : the declaration of faith ( shahadah ), daily prayers ( salah ), almsgiving ( zakat ), fasting during the month of Ramadan ( sawm ), and the pilgrimage to Mecca ( hajj ) at least once in a lifetime. The majority of theological traditions of Islam accept that works do not determine if someone is a Muslim or not. God alone would know about the belief of

3219-458: The French embassy accusing the former colonial power of failing to help the army. Josué Binoua , the CAR 's minister for territorial administration, requested that France intervenes in case the rebels, now only 75 km (47 mi) away, manage to reach the capital Bangui . On 27 December, Bozizé asked the international community for assistance. French president François Hollande rejected

3330-470: The French peacekeeping mission called Operation Sangaris . Interim president Michel Djotodia and Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye resigned on 10 January 2014 yet the conflict still continued. The National Transitional Council elected the new interim president of the Central African Republic after Alexandre-Ferdinand Nguendet became the Acting Chief of State. Nguendet, being the president of

3441-797: The Group of Patriotic Action for the Liberation of Central Africa (GAPLC), the Convention of Patriots for Justice and Peace (CPJP), the People's Army for the Restoration of Democracy (APRD), the Movement of Central African Liberators for Justice (MLCJ), and the Democratic Front of the Central African People (FDPC). Tens of thousands of people were displaced by the unrest, which continued until 2007, with rebel forces seizing several cities during

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3552-649: The Patriotic Convention for Saving the Country (CPSK). Al Habib announced that, in protest of the peace agreement, the Fundamental CPJP was launching an offensive dubbed "Operation Charles Massi ", in memory of the CPJP founder who was allegedly tortured and murdered by the government, and that his group intended to overthrow Bozizé . In September, Fundamental CPJP, using the French name Alliance CPSK-CPJP, took responsibility for attacks on

3663-614: The Tawrat ( Torah ) to the prophets and messengers amongst the Children of Israel , the Zabur ( Psalms ) to David and the Injil ( Gospel ) to Jesus, who are all considered important Muslim prophets . The most populous Muslim-majority country is Indonesia, home to 12.7% of the world's Muslims, followed by Pakistan (11.0%), Bangladesh (9.2%), Nigeria (5.3%) and Egypt (4.9%). About 20% of

3774-569: The Union of Democratic Forces for Unity (UFDR). The Séléka claim they are fighting because of a lack of progress after a peace deal ended the Bush War . Following an appeal for help from Central African President François Bozizé , the President of Chad , Idriss Déby , pledged to send 2,000 troops to help quell the rebellion. The first Chadian troops arrived on 18 December 2012 to reinforce

3885-514: The 10 members of the regional bloc. France had further boosted its presence in the country to 600 troops. On 6 January, South African President Jacob Zuma announced the deployment of 400 troops to CAR to assist the forces already present there. On 11 January 2013, a ceasefire agreement was signed in Libreville , Gabon . On 13 January, Bozizé signed a decree that removed Prime Minister Faustin-Archange Touadéra from power, as part of

3996-575: The Americas (5.2 million or 0.6%), Australia (714,000 or 1.9%) and parts of Europe (44 million or 6%). A Pew Center study in 2016 found that Muslims have the highest number of adherents under the age of 15 (34% of the total Muslim population) of any major religion, while only 7% are aged 60+ (the smallest percentage of any major religion). According to the same study, Muslims have the highest fertility rates (3.1) of any major religious group. The study also found that Muslims (tied with Hindus ) have

4107-567: The Anti-Balaka who was involved in the 'Battle of Bangui' and Patrice Edouard Ngaïssona of the Anti-Balaka were arrested in 2018, although no one from the Ex-Séléka was arrested. In eastern CAR , tensions erupted in competition between Ex-Séléka militias arising over control of a goldmine in November 2016, where MPC and the FPRC coalition, which incorporated elements of their former enemy,

4218-401: The Anti-balaka and Djotodia and Adam of FPRC led to another ceasefire agreement where they called for amnesty for all perpetrators of abuses and the removal of the current transitional authorities. The transitional government and the international community dismissed the deal as it excluded them from the negotiations and termed the parties "Nairobists". By October 2015, Samba-Panza accused

4329-683: The Anti-balaka, attacked UPC. The violence is often ethnic in nature with the FPRC associated with the Gula and Runga people and the UPC associated with the Fulani . Most of the fighting was in the centrally located Ouaka prefecture, which has the country's second largest city Bambari , because of its strategic location between the Muslim and Christian regions of the country and its wealth. The fight for Bambari in early 2017 displaced 20,000. MINUSCA made

4440-625: The Liberation of the Central African Republic People" (MNLC) displaced around 60,000 people. MNLC, founded in October 2017, was led by Ahamat Bahar, a former member and co-founder of FPRC and MRC, and is allegedly backed by Fulani fighters from Chad . The Christian militant group RJ was formed in 2013, mostly by members of the presidential guard of former president Ange-Félix Patassé , and were composed mainly of ethnic Sara-Kaba . While both groups had previously divided

4551-542: The Nairobists of plotting a coup and dozens of FPRC combatants even walked from the north-east of the country to Sibut , a few kilometres from the capital, threatening the transitional authorities, but were stopped by international forces. With the de facto partition of the country between Ex-Séléka militias in the north and east and Anti-balaka militias in the south and west, hostilities between both sides decreased but sporadic fighting continued. In February 2016, after

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4662-554: The Qur'an. The Qur'an states that these men were Muslims because they submitted to God, preached His message and upheld His values, which included praying, charity, fasting and pilgrimage. Thus, in Surah 3:52 of the Qur'an, Jesus' disciples tell him, "We believe in God; and you be our witness that we are Muslims ( wa-shahad be anna muslimūn )." In Islamic belief, before the Qur'an, God had given

4773-468: The Rebirth (or Renaissance) of Central African Republic " (FPRC). Later in 2014, Noureddine Adam led the FPRC and began demanding independence for the predominantly Muslim north, a move rejected by another general, Ali Darassa , who formed another Ex-Séléka faction called the " Union for Peace in the Central African Republic " (UPC), which was dominant in and around Bambari , while the FPRC's capital

4884-453: The agreement with the rebel coalition. The rebels dropped their demand for President François Bozizé to resign, but he had to appoint a new prime minister from the opposition by 18 January 2013. On 17 January, Nicolas Tiangaye was appointed prime minister. The terms of the agreement also included that National Assembly of the Central African Republic be dissolved within a week with a year-long coalition government formed in its place and

4995-554: The appeal, saying that French troops would only be used to protect French nationals in CAR, and not to defend Bozizé's government. Reports indicated that the U.S . military was preparing plans to evacuate "several hundred" American citizens, as well as other nationals. Gabonese General Jean-Félix Akaga , commander of the Economic Community of Central African States ' (ECCAS) Multinational Force of Central Africa (FOMAC), said

5106-695: The capital Bangui , a total of 360 soldiers were sent to boost the defenses of Damara – Angola , Democratic Republic of the Congo , 120 each from Gabon , Republic of the Congo and Cameroon , with a Gabonese general in command of the force. Jean-Félix Akaga , the Gabonese general in charge of the MICOPAX force, sent by the ECCAS , declared that Damara represented a "red line that the rebels cannot cross", and that doing so would be "a declaration of war" against

5217-504: The capital was "fully secured" by the troops from its MICOPAX peacekeeping mission, adding that reinforcements should arrive soon. However, military sources in Gabon and Cameroon denied the report, claiming no decision had been taken regarding the crisis. Government soldiers launched a counterattack against rebel forces in Bambari on 28 December, leading to heavy clashes, according to

5328-485: The capital. Armed entrepreneurs have carved out personal fiefdoms in which they set up checkpoints, collect illegal taxes, and take in millions of dollars from the illicit coffee, mineral, and timber trades. At least 14 armed groups vied for territory, notably four factions formed by Ex-Séléka leaders who controlled about 60% of the country's territory. In January 2015, talks in Nairobi between Joachim Kokate representing

5439-476: The ceasefire was broken, with the government blaming Séléka and Séléka blaming the government for allegedly failing to honor the terms of the power-sharing agreement. By 21 March, the rebels had advanced to Bouca , 300 km from the capital Bangui . On 22 March, the fighting reached the town of Damara , 75 km from the capital. On 18 March 2013, the rebels, having taken over Gambo and Bangassou , threatened to take up arms again if their demands for

5550-421: The city. Residents reported many shop-owners had hired groups of armed men to guard their property in anticipation of possible looting, as thousands were leaving the city in overloaded cars and boats. The French military contingent rose to 400 with the deployment of 150 additional paratroopers sent from Gabon to Bangui M'Poko International Airport . French prime minister Jean-Marc Ayrault again stressed that

5661-652: The conflict. On 13 April 2007, a peace agreement between the government and the UFDR was signed in Birao . The agreement provided for an amnesty for the UFDR, its recognition as a political party, and the integration of its fighters into the army. Further negotiations resulted in a Libreville Global Peace Accord agreement in 2008 for reconciliation, a unity government, local elections in 2009 and parliamentary and presidential elections in 2010. The new unity government that resulted

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5772-610: The constitution and dissolved the government, as well as the National Assembly. He then reappointed Tiangaye as prime minister on 27 March 2013. In the following two days top military and police officers met with Djotodia and recognized him as president on 28 March 2013, in what was viewed as "a form of surrender", and the overall security situation was beginning to improve. A new government headed by Tiangaye , with 34 members, appointed on 31 March 2013, included nine members of Séléka , along with eight representatives of

5883-488: The country that they already controlled. This did not stop the violence, with 3R killing more than 50 people in several villages in May 2019, leading to MINUSCA to launch a military operation against them. In August 2019, Sidiki Abbas of 3R and Mahamat Al-Khatim of MPC resigned from their government posts. Democratic Front of the Central African People (FDPC) leader Abdoulaye Miskine refused to take his government post and joined

5994-522: The country were also weary of the French presence in MISCA, with the French accused of not doing enough to stop attacks by Christian militias. One of the cited reasons for the difficulty in stopping attacks by Anti-balaka militias was the mob nature of these attacks. After three days of talks, a ceasefire was signed on 24 July 2014 in Brazzaville , Republic of the Congo . The Séléka representative

6105-459: The country's largest ethnic group, retained much support among the population and army members. On 19 December 2020 six rebel groups who together control two-thirds of the country's territory, including 3R led by General Sembé Bobo , FPRC , and UPC , announced they had formed an alliance called the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC), and accused President Touadéra of trying to rig

6216-472: The early stage of the war. About 15,000 people fled from their homes in an attack in May and six U.N . peacekeepers were killed – the deadliest month for the mission yet. In June 2017, another ceasefire was signed in Rome by the government and 14 armed groups including FPRC, but the next day fighting between an FPRC faction and Anti-balaka militias killed more than 100 people. In October 2017, another ceasefire

6327-429: The election and stated their intent to advance to the capital. They seized several towns close to Bangui . The government accused Bozizé of fomenting a coup with the rebels after his candidacy for presidential elections was rejected by the country's highest court, but Bozizé denied this. On 20 December 2020 Rwanda confirmed it had sent troops and Russia said it had sent 300 military instructors. On 22 December,

6438-506: The electoral commission declared Touadéra the winner of the presidential election. A state of emergency was declared in 25 January, and President Touadéra has been accused of using that opportunity to crack down on opponents and consolidate power. Pro-Touadéra militias known as the "Sharks" and "7th Territorial Infantry Battalion" are alleged to have been involved in disappearances of members of Bozizé 's party and former president's Catherine Samba-Panza , as well as challengers of Touadéra in

6549-550: The foreign ministers in the ECCAS announced that more troops from the Multinational Force for Central Africa (FOMAC) would be sent to the country to support the 560 members of the MICOPAX mission already present. The announcement was done by Chad 's Foreign Minister Moussa Faki after a meeting in the Gabonese capital Libreville . At the same time, ECCAS Deputy Secretary-General Guy-Pierre Garcia confirmed that

6660-426: The formation of an inclusive transitional council and the holding of new elections in 18 months, rather than three years as envisioned by Djotodia. Speaking on 4 April, Information Minister Christophe Gazam Betty said that Djotodia had accepted the proposals of the African leaders; however, he suggested that Djotodia could remain in office if he were elected to head the transitional council. Djotodia accordingly signed

6771-432: The government and 14 rebel groups in February 2019 called the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation, the eighth such agreement since the war started in 2012. As part of the accord, Ali Darassa of UPC, Mahamat Al-Khatim of MPC and Sidiki Abass of 3R were given positions as special military advisers to the prime minister's office overseeing special mixed units made of government and rebel soldiers in regions of

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6882-451: The government of failing to abide by the peace agreements, captured many towns in 2012 and seized the capital in 2013. Bozizé fled the country, and the rebel leader Michel Djotodia declared himself president. Renewed fighting began between Séléka and militias opposed to them called Anti-balaka . In September 2013, President Djotodia disbanded the Séléka coalition, which had lost its unity after taking power, and resigned in 2014. He

6993-399: The ground claimed the talks were not representative and fighting continued with Séléka's military leader Joseph Zoundeiko rejected the ceasefire agreement the next day saying it lacked input from his military wing and brought back the demand for partition. Ngaïssona told a general assembly of Anti-balaka fighters and supporters to lay down their arms and that Anti-balaka would be turned into

7104-1412: The group attacked the towns of Sibut , Damara and Dekoa , which was the beginning of the 2012 Central African Republic rebellion . This Central African Republic -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Central African Republic conflict (2012-2013) Ongoing [REDACTED]   Central African Republic [REDACTED] MINUSCA (since 2014) [REDACTED]   Rwanda (since 2020) [REDACTED]   Russia (since 2018) Formerly: [REDACTED]   France (2013–2021) [REDACTED] MPC [REDACTED] Republic of Logone [REDACTED] PRNC [REDACTED] Lord's Resistance Army Defunct groups: [REDACTED] François Bozizé (since 2020) [REDACTED] Noureddine Adam (FPRC) [REDACTED] Ali Darassa (UPC) [REDACTED] Mahamat al-Khatim (MPC) ( POW ) [REDACTED] Sembé Bobbo (3R) [REDACTED] Bernard Bonda (Anti-balaka) [REDACTED] Igor Lamaka (Anti-balaka) [REDACTED] Joseph Kony (LRA) [REDACTED] 11,000 (2022) [REDACTED] MINUSCA : 15,760 (2022) [REDACTED] Wagner Group: 1,200 (2022) Black Russians: 3,000+ Formerly: Séléka takeover (2012–2013) Séléka–Anti-balaka conflict (2013–2020) CPC rebellion (2020–) The Central African Republic Civil War

7215-422: The growing number of displaced people. Rebel forces took over the town of Sibut without firing a shot on 29 December, as at least 60 vehicles with CAR and Chadian troops retreated to Damara , the last city standing between Séléka and the capital. In Bangui , the government ordered a 7 pm to 5 am curfew and banned the use of motorcycle taxis , fearing they could be used by rebels to infiltrate

7326-404: The intention of " maintaining security and training local officers ". On 15 February, France announced that it would send an additional 400 troops to the country. French president François Hollande 's office called for " increased solidarity " with the CAR and for the United Nations Security Council to accelerate the deployment of peacekeeping troops to the CAR. Ban Ki-moon then also called for

7437-405: The largest portion (31%) of the global Muslim population. By country, Indonesia is the largest in the Muslim world , holding around 12% of all Muslims worldwide; outside of the Muslim-majority countries, India and China are home to the largest (11%) and second-largest (2%) Muslim populations, respectively. Due to high Muslim population growth , Islam is the fastest-growing religion in

7548-469: The lowest average levels of education with an average of 5.6 years of schooling, though both groups have made the largest gains in educational attainment in recent decades among major religions. About 36% of all Muslims have no formal schooling, and Muslims have the lowest average levels of higher education of any major religious group, with only 8% having graduate and post-graduate degrees. Muslim culture or Islamic culture are terms used to describe

7659-512: The majority, while 25.9% of the world's Muslim population lived in countries where Muslims are in the minority. A Pew Center study in 2010 found that 3% of the world's Muslims population live in non-Muslim-majority developed countries . India's Muslim population is the world's largest Muslim-minority population in the world (11% of the world's Muslim population). Followed by Ethiopia (28 million), China (22 million), Russia (16 million) and Tanzania (13 million). Sizable minorities are also found in

7770-526: The militia soldiers who were now referred to as Ex-Séléka. Self-defense militias called Anti-balaka previously formed to fight crime on a local level, had organized into militias against abuses by Séléka soldiers. On 5 December 2013, called "A Day That Will Define Central African Republic", the Anti-balaka militias coordinated an attack on Bangui against its Muslim population, killing more than 1,000 civilians, in an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow Djotodia. On 14 May, CAR 's PM Nicolas Tiangaye requested

7881-490: The most common spelling thereafter. The last major newspaper in the United Kingdom to use the spelling "Moslem" was the Daily Mail , which switched to "Muslim" in 2004. The word Mosalman or Mussulman ( Persian : مسلمان , romanized :  mosalmân , alternatively musalmān ) is a common equivalent for Muslim used in Central and South Asia . In English it was sometimes spelled Mussulman and has become archaic in usage; however, cognates of this word remain

7992-677: The other side. In western CAR , another rebel group, with no known links to Séléka or Anti-balaka , called "Return, Reclamation, Rehabilitation" (3R) formed in 2015 reportedly by Sidiki Abass , claiming to be protecting Muslim Fulani people from an Anti-balaka militia led by Abbas Rafal. They are accused of displacing 17,000 people in November 2016 and at least 30,000 people in the Ouham-Pendé prefecture in December 2016. In northwestern CAR around Paoua , fighting since December 2017 between "Revolution and Justice" (RJ) and "Movement for

8103-642: The parties that had opposed Bozizé , while only one member of the government was associated with Bozizé, and 16 positions were given to representatives of civil society. The former opposition parties declared on 1 April that they would boycott the government to protest its domination by Séléka, arguing that the 16 positions given to representatives of civil society were in fact "handed over to Séléka allies disguised as civil society activists". On 3 April 2013, African leaders meeting in Chad declared that they did not recognize Djotodia as president; instead, they proposed

8214-517: The peace among rival militias. France called for a vote at the UNSC in April 2014 and expected a unanimous resolution authorising 10,000 troops and 1,800 police to replace the over 5,000 African Union soldiers on 15 September; the motion was then approved. After an incident where civilians were killed that involved Chadian soldiers, Chad announced the withdrawal of its forces from MISCA in April 2014. As UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned of

8325-480: The population in the Middle East identify as either Sunni or Shi'a, a significant number of Muslims identify as non-denominational . With about 1.8 billion followers (2015), almost a quarter of earth's population , Islam is the second-largest and the fastest-growing religion in the world , primarily due to the young age and high fertility rate of Muslims, with Muslims having a rate of (3.1) compared to

8436-526: The precondition that government forces stop arresting members of the Gula tribe. The rebel coalition confirmed it would demand the immediate departure of President Bozizé, who had pledged to see out his term until its end in 2016. By 1 January reinforcements from FOMAC began to arrive in Damara to support the 400 Chadian troops already stationed there as part of the MICOPAX mission. With rebels closing in on

8547-550: The pro-government CPJP faction, countered that the CPJP was committed to the peace agreement and the attacks were the work of Chadian rebels, saying this group of "thieves" would never be able to march on Bangui . Al Habib was killed by FACA on 19 September in Daya, a town north of Dekoa . In November 2012, in Obo , FACA soldiers were injured in an attack attributed to Chadian Popular Front for Recovery rebels. On 10 December 2012,

8658-467: The provisional parliament and viewed as being close to Djotodia, did not run for the election under diplomatic pressure. On 20 January 2014, Catherine Samba-Panza , the mayor of Bangui , was elected as the interim president in the second round voting. Samba-Panza was viewed as having been neutral and away from clan clashes. Her arrival to the presidency was generally accepted by both the Ex-Séléka and

8769-581: The rapid deployment of 3,000 additional international peacekeepers. Because of increasing violence, on 10 April 2014, the UN Security Council transferred MISCA to a UN peacekeeping operation called the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) with 10,000 troops, to be deployed in September that year. MINUSCA drew figurative "red lines" on the roads to keep

8880-500: The rebel coalition partially captured Bangassou , adding that the fighters were allied to former president François Bozizé . It is argued that the arrival of the Rwandans and Russians thwarted the rebels from reaching Bangui and so the rebels adopted a long-term strategy of suffocating Bangui by controlling the resources around it, however, on 13 January, the CPC attacked the capital but were eventually repelled. On 4 January,

8991-521: The rebels and the CAR government had agreed to unconditional talks, with the goal to get to negotiations by 10 January at the latest. In Bangui , the U.S. Air Force evacuated around 40 people from the country, including the American ambassador . The International Committee of the Red Cross also evacuated eight of its foreign workers, though local volunteers and 14 other foreigners remained to help

9102-471: The rebels seized the towns of N'Délé , Sam Ouandja and Ouadda , as well as weapons left by fleeing soldiers. On 15 December, rebel forces took Bamingui , and three days later they advanced to Bria , moving closer to Bangui . The Alliance CPSK-CPJP for the first time used the name Séléka (meaning "union" in the Sango language ) with a press release calling itself "Séléka CPSK-CPJP-UFDR", thus including

9213-546: The recent polls, Anicet-Georges Dologuélé and Martin Ziguélé , report being prevented from exiting the country. Muslims Muslims ( Arabic : المسلمون , romanized :  al-Muslimūn , lit.   'submitters [to God ]') are people who adhere to Islam , a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran , the foundational religious text of Islam, to be

9324-509: The regional economic community Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC). After François Bozizé seized power in 2003, the Central African Republic Bush War (2004–2007) began with the rebellion by the Union of Democratic Forces for Unity (UFDR) in northeastern CAR , led by Michel Djotodia . During this conflict, the UFDR rebel forces also fought with several other rebel groups including

9435-477: The release of political prisoners, the integration of their forces into the national army and for South African soldiers to leave the country were not met within 72 hours. Three days later, they took control of the towns of Damara and Bossangoa . By 23 March, they entered Bangui . On 24 March, rebels reached the Presidential Palace in the centre of the capital. The Presidential Palace and

9546-412: The resource-rich country and for influence among regional powers such as Chad , Sudan and Rwanda and international powers such as France and Russia . More than 1.1 million people have fled their homes in a country of about 5 million people, the highest ever recorded in the country. The peacekeeping force Multinational Force in the Central African Republic (FOMUC) was formed in October 2002 by

9657-488: The rest of the capital soon fell to rebel forces and Bozizé fled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo , which was followed by widespread looting in the capital. By 2 April, only 20 of the original 200 South African National Defence Force troops stationed in CAR remained in the country. A company of French troops secured Bangui M'Poko International Airport and France sent 350 soldiers to ensure

9768-545: The security of its citizens, bringing the total number of French troops in CAR to nearly 600. On 25 March 2013, Séléka leader Michel Djotodia , who served after the January agreement as First Deputy Prime Minister for National Defense, declared himself president, becoming the first Muslim to ever hold the office. Djotodia said that there would be a three-year transitional period and that Nicolas Tiangaye would continue to serve as prime minister. Djotodia promptly suspended

9879-435: The sending of up to 1,000 soldiers to the country by the end of February, to be based around Bangui . Estonia promised to send soldiers, while Lithuania , Slovenia , Finland , Belgium , Poland and Sweden were considering sending troops; Germany , Italy and Great Britain announced that they would not send soldiers. The UN Security Council unanimously voted to approve sending European Union troops and to give them

9990-402: The shahada also has a third part, a phrase concerning Ali , the first Shia Imam and the fourth Rashid caliph of Sunni Islam : وعليٌ وليُّ الله ( wa ʿalīyyun walīyyu-llāh ), which translates to "Ali is the wali of God". In Quranist Islam , the shahada is the testimony that there is no god but Allah ( la ilaha illa'llah ). The religious practices of Muslims are enumerated in

10101-415: The signature of a Disarmament, Demobilisation, Rehabilitation and Repatriation (DDRR) agreement among 9 of 10 armed groups. Months after the official dissolution of Séléka it was not known who was in charge of Ex-Séléka factions during talks with Anti-balaka until on 12 July 2014, Michel Djotodia was reinstated as the head of an ad hoc coalition of Ex-Séléka which renamed itself " The Popular Front for

10212-533: The standard term for "Muslim" in various other European languages. Until at least the mid-1960s, many English-language writers used the term Mohammedans or Mahometans . Although such terms were not necessarily intended to be pejorative , Muslims argue that the terms are offensive because they allegedly imply that Muslims worship Muhammad rather than God. Other obsolete terms include Muslimite and Muslimist . In Medieval Europe, Muslims were commonly called Saracens . The Muslim philologist Ibn al-Anbari said:

10323-463: The teachings and practices attributed to Muhammad ( sunnah ) as recorded in traditional accounts ( hadith ). With an estimated population of almost 1.9 billion followers as of 2020 year estimation, Muslims comprise around 25% of the world's total population. In descending order, the percentage of people who identify as Muslims on each continental landmass stands at: 45% of Africa , 25% of Asia and Oceania collectively, 6% of Europe , and 1% of

10434-465: The terms of the 2007 agreement and that there continued to be political abuses, especially in the northern part of the country, such as "torture and illegal executions". In August 2012 a peace agreement was signed between the government and the CPJP . On 20 August 2012, an agreement was signed between a dissident faction of the CPJP, led by Colonel Hassan Al Habib calling itself Fundamental CPJP , and

10545-661: The territory in the Northwest, tensions erupted after the killing of RJ leader, Clément Bélanga, in November 2017. Beginning around 2017, Russia began to increasingly support the government of Touadéra , whose personal guard became largely Russian as well. Three Russian journalists were killed in 2018 while investigating Russian mercenary groups in CAR . In August 2018, Russia and Sudan helped broker another tentative agreement among armed groups. After talks in Khartoum , an African Union led initiative led to an accord between

10656-469: The thinly spread MINUSCA relied on Ugandan as well as American special forces to keep the peace in the southeast, as they were part of a campaign to eliminate the Lord's Resistance Army , but the mission ended in April 2017. By the latter half of 2017, the fighting largely shifted to the southeast where the UPC reorganized and were pursued by the FPRC and Anti-balaka with the level of violence only matched by

10767-521: The towns of Sibut , Damara and Dekoa , killing two members of the army. It claimed that it had killed two additional members of the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) in Damara , capturing military and civilian vehicles, weapons including rockets, and communications equipment, and launched unsuccessful assault on a fourth town, Grimari , and promised more operations in the future. Mahamath Isseine Abdoulaye , president of

10878-540: The troops were only present to "protect French and European nationals" and not deal with the rebels. On 30 December, President Bozizé agreed to a possible national unity government with members of the Séléka coalition. On 2 January 2013, the president took over as the new head of the defense ministry from his son and dismissed army chief Guillaume Lapo . Meanwhile, rebel spokesman Col. Djouma Narkoyo confirmed that Séléka had stopped their advance and will enter peace talks due to start in Libreville on 8 January, on

10989-652: The verbatim word of the God of Abraham (or Allah ) as it was revealed to Muhammad , the main Islamic prophet . Alongside the Quran, Muslims also believe in previous revelations , such as the Tawrat ( Torah ), the Zabur ( Psalms ), and the Injeel ( Gospel ). These earlier revelations are associated with Judaism and Christianity , which are regarded by Muslims as earlier versions of Islam. The majority of Muslims also follow

11100-432: The world average of (2.5). According to the same study, religious switching has no impact on Muslim population, since the number of people who embrace Islam and those who leave Islam are roughly equal. As of 2010, 49 countries countries in the world had Muslim majorities, in which Muslims comprised more than 50% of the population. In 2010, 74.1% of the world's Muslim population lived in countries where Muslims are in

11211-463: The world's Muslims live in the Middle East and North Africa. Non-majority India contains 10.9% of the world's Muslims. Arab Muslims form the largest ethnic group among Muslims in the world, followed by Bengalis , and Punjabis . Over 75–90% of Muslims are Sunni . The second and third largest sects, Shia and Ahmadiyya , make up 10–20%, and 1% respectively. While the majority of

11322-521: The world. Muslims have experienced persecution of varying severity, especially in China, India, some parts of Africa, and Southeast Asia. The word muslim ( Arabic : مسلم , IPA: [ˈmʊslɪm] ; English: / ˈ m ʌ z l ɪ m / , / ˈ m ʊ z l ɪ m / , / ˈ m ʊ s l ɪ m / ( MUZZ -lim, MUUZ -lim, MUUSS -lim ) or moslem / ˈ m ɒ z l ə m / , / ˈ m ɒ s l ə m / ( MOZ -ləm, MOSS -ləm ) )

11433-439: Was General Mohamed Moussa Dhaffane, and the Anti-balaka representative was Patrick Edouard Ngaïssona . The talks were mediated by Congolese president Denis Sassou Nguesso and South Sudanese diplomat Albino Aboug . The Séléka delegation had pushed for a formalization of the partition of the Central African Republic with Muslims in the north and Christians in the south but dropped that demand in talks. Many factions on

11544-485: Was elected president in 2016, ran and won the 2020 election, which triggered the main rebel factions to form an alliance opposed to the election called the Coalition of Patriots for Change , which was coordinated by former president Bozizé. Peacekeeping largely transitioned from the ECCAS -led MICOPAX to the African Union -led MISCA to the United Nations -led MINUSCA , while the French peacekeeping mission

11655-548: Was formed in January 2009. On 12 July 2008, with the waning of the Central African Republic Bush War , the larger overlapping regional economic community to CEMAC called the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), replaced FOMUC, whose mandate was largely restricted to security, with the Central African Peacebuilding Mission (MICOPAX), who had a broader peace building mandate. Rebel groups alleged that Bozizé had not followed

11766-453: Was founded by Abakar Sabon and was not part of the Séléka alliance that overthrew Bozizé , killed at least 24 people and displaced about 24,000. Presidential and legislative elections were scheduled for 27 December 2020. Former president François Bozizé had announced his return to the country in December 2019 and his intent to run in the presidential election. Bozizé, of the Gbaya ,

11877-437: Was known as Operation Sangaris . Much of the tension is over religious identity between Muslim Séléka fighters and Christian Anti-balaka , and ethnic differences among ex-Séléka factions, and historical antagonism between agriculturalists, who largely comprise Anti-balaka, and nomadic groups, who constitute most Séléka fighters. Other contributing factors include the struggle for control of diamonds and other resources in

11988-413: Was not a Jew, nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim [مُّسۡلِمࣰا], and he was not a polytheist." -- Quran 3:67 "Then when Jesus perceived their disbelief he said, 'Who will be my helpers of God.' The disciples said 'We will be the helpers of God; we believe in God and bear witness that we are Muslims [مُسۡلِمُونَ].'" -- Quran 3:52 To become a Muslim and to convert to Islam, it is essential to utter

12099-404: Was replaced by Catherine Samba-Panza , but the conflict continued. In July 2014, ex-Séléka factions and Anti-balaka representatives signed a ceasefire agreement. By the end of 2014, the country was de facto partitioned with the Anti-Balaka controlling the south and west, from which most Muslims had evacuated, and ex-Séléka groups controlling the north and east. Faustin-Archange Touadéra , who

12210-456: Was required to free all political prisoners imprisoned during the conflict, and foreign troops must return to their countries of origin. Under the agreement, Séléka rebels were not required to give up the cities they have taken or were then occupying, allegedly as a way to ensure that the Bozizé government would not renege on the agreement. Bozizé would be allowed to remain president until new presidential elections in 2016. On 23 January 2013,

12321-411: Was signed between the UPC, the FPRC, and Anti-balaka groups, and FPRC announced Ali Darassa as coalition vice-president, but fighting continued afterward. By July 2018 the FPRC was headed by Abdoulaye Hissène and based in the northeastern town of N'Délé . In 2019, the FPRC split into two factions, a Runga group on one side, including Abdoulaye Hissene, and rival fighters from the Gula and Kara on

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