Fighters from the Central African Republic’s Seleka rebel group violently seized a town north of the capital Bangui on Thursday, sending terrorised civilians fleeing, according to military and diplomatic sources.
A paramilitary police source told AFP a convoy of about 50 vehicles loaded with Seleka fighters surrounded Sibut on Wednesday night, committing atrocities against the population of the town about 180km north of Bangui.
The mostly Muslim fighters, reported to have been speaking only in Arabic, took full control of the town on Thursday.
A diplomatic source said the fighters, involved in weeks of horrific violence between Muslims and the Christian majority, were “regrouping” in the town.