he said he was inspired by the recent president's day weekend to korea -- create mount snow more. thanks for watching al jazeera america. i'm del walters in new york. "inside story" is next. . decades of miss room, kruping krupingsz, suspended constitution. the central african republic has not been good to citizens. is it unravelling? hello am. i am ray suarez.

during europe's scramble for africa, britain, belgium and france simply planted their flags. north of the belgium claim, france forced people to pay the costs of paris's colonial adventures. france handed the colony over to the germans and took it back again after the first world war. over time, the people of the colony fought back, tried to kick the french out, but cotton, tea, coffee, gold and diamonds won the argument. it's been more than 50 years since france left the governments driver's license tilths better than the french did in the previous eighty years. of the 4 and a half million people in a country a little smaller than texas, there is poverty, illness, division and now, great mdanger. families fleeing the central african republic by the tens of

thousands as fighting between rival rebel groups, the seleca and the anti-balakas intensefies. >> there is nothing, nothing hear for us. >> in a country that has seen five coups since it's 1960 independence, this particular human certain crisis is raising alarms in the international communities. central africa is a catastrophfee. the cleansing must be stopped. >> the poor land-locked country has descended into chaos for close to a year now. the seleca coalition from the muslim-dominated north overthrew the central government last ma in december, after nine months of spiraling sectarian drive, france sent 1600 soldiers.

i think what's important is that we assume our international responsibilities. europe must do their part as well. >> the alliance eventually pressured the sell he can a liter to step down from government last month. cathryn sarapanza is acting as. >> i swear in front of god and in front of the nation to respect the transitional constitutional to agree that independence and the continuity of the public to savegard our integrity and preserve peace now a loose coalition has sworn revenge on the seleca and the country's muslim communities for previous atrocities. thousands of muslims are fleeing. >> it's entirely possible in just a few weeks from now, there

will be no more muslims in bangee and much of the west of central african republic. >> the mutual hatred is spurring mass looting and anarchy across the country. >> i was inside my house and someone knocked at the door, and when i opened the door, i was suddenly shot at. they shot me in the leg. i was taken to a community hospital where i spent two months. >> france deployed an additional 400 french troops from chad and gabon to try to bring order to the central african republic streets. including the use of force. >> french and african peace keepers also conducted believed to be the anti-melaka base. knives, grenades, automatic weapons and ammo were con fisk

skated but leader patrice edward was not. he escaped capture. the central african public is rich in gold, diamonds and du duerani dueranium. political resource and mismanagement have left residents largely improve required, invul numberable. the u.n. estimates 1 million people are in need of emergency food aid. 90% of the country is living on one meal a day. with armed militias blocking off roads, it's dangerous to drive food in it will allow us to reposition food all across the area before the rainy season starts and makes most of the roads impossible. >> planting season is only one month away. farmers still need their seeds. so the country's humanmanitarian

crisis may get worse. the u.n. says more than 2,000 people have been killed and more than 800,000 displaced. focusing on the crisis in the central african republic. the cycle of violence is escalating. can it be stopped? who is going to do it? joining us, robb and rene sanders, u.s. ambassador to n h nigeria and to the republic of congo and the director for africa mark unloader, the vice president of africa analysis at strat fo stratfor. and ammadu si, with the african growth initiative. mark schroder, how much of the current problem in the central african republic has to do with the fact that there was already a long, troubled place?

>> if sfwe look at this most immediate episode we have to take it back to 2003 when the previous president came to power, himself, through a coup. he was overthrown almost a year ago, march last year, and the country has continued to deteriorate and struggle with trying to manage its own security, security gains we saw foreign troops on the ground there, african union and france more troops won't cure what ails the country now? >> the troops will be helpful in doing that. you have to at least create a peace corridor so that refugees that need to get out and the

idps that are there that are at least safe so that humanitarian assistance can be provided to them. in the long-term, you are absolutely right. troops, alone, are not going to restore peace to car. it's going to be the people of car coming together to do that. >> right now, they seem to be absent the troops, at each other's throats. >> you have to put the whole thing symbol context without it, you will have a spiraling violence. >> is there a danger that the problems of one current tree as

we have so often seen in recent years in africa will infect other countries around it? on some of c.a.r.'s borders? >> this is a good question they are in a fragile situation. dar for, sudan, the drc and chad and the resistance who fled uganda the ugandan army was fighting the lar in the car. now, we say now, movement ootids

complete with other current trees that have had recent problems with internal refugee crisis, a lot of displacement, a lot of government instability, unsteady rains, which cause the fragile food situation. you get a couple of thousand people flee from oneplation to another, it can cause problems? >> yes. definitely the muslim population is going away to chad. i fear the neighboring areas of chad, for example, could de facto secede in a sense because

the government cannot control it in an area as big as texas. >> we will talk about two important aspects of this crisis. is the world turning its back to the central african republic? and how much of the conflict between christians and muslims in africa is being seen in this one small country? this is "inside story." stay with us.

welcome back to inside story. i am way suarez. we are focusing on the violence and refugee crisis in the central african republic. french and african union troops have been unable control the situation. france announced this week its sending 400 more troops from chad and gabun help us

understand it where religion fits here ? >> i think the situation in c.a.r. is unique and we need to pay attention to it. despite coups and violence, they didn't have sectarian violence like they have today. what you see is revenge killing from the take the seleca overtook c.a.r. in early last year, you have violence, mutilations, against primarily the christian population. >> which is the minority. >> and has been it there for years. you have neighbors fighting neighbors. it happened in car. and it harkins back to bosnia. it will harkins back to rwanda

in some cases where you have this really tragic brutality happening on the ground. and it is very worrisome because it is a new thing for sub is a ha sub subsaharan africa. you saw a little in mali and in the brutality based upon religion in the middle of africa is a new thing. it's something we need to be aware of. >> even though the causes as the ba ambassador point out is sneaking to the central african republic, is that kind of con tapeon that can link up with other trends

going on to what we see in the region we can analyze what you brought up. if we take a look at the history of rebellion's in central african republ republic in chad next door. also, in sudasudan. and these fighters were proxy

this this this this

take a new look at news. >> welcome back to inside story. i'm ray suarez. . welcome back to "inside story." i am ray sworees. the united nations says more than 2,000 people have been killed and more than 800,000 have been displaced. the question is: can the international community come together to help solve the crisis? with us, from austin, mark schroeder with stratfor, a geopolitical intelligence firm and amma sudi, from the african

growth initiative mark schroeder, office might be in part, economic interests but just to ensure that does not disrupt stability that france is equallycut just odes concerned about. we have noted france is intervening in mali and has

expressed recent concern western countries asking if we are helping resolve that's a hard sell. they will be there for the long ten we must also address with

south scudan impacted stoone degree or another or impacing the central country, those current trees may be incorporated into a stability and long-term plan it has seen continental groups. can africa do more of this or in will we see other groups? >> first, you have seen regional buddies being involved in the contine continent. the car, the ecas, the regional economic community is c contributing troops and it also

providing funds. we have seen in somalia, africa troops participating. we have seen ethiopia and uganda and other countries being involved there was a statement, a commitment to have rapid intervention forces, african led interventions forces. we are not there yet basmati but one thing that the international community can offer is the logistical support. these things are not easy to organize. and only some countries line the u.s. can provide logistical support for these regional groups really that's the issue. we have a short time left sfl

much interest? >> is the impacting of the countries. when i was ambassador to the republic of congo i mentioned you car had a coup during that time and the impact. so, i think we get it. i know we are very much involved in dialogue with the french. i know that we tend to provide lift in those particular circumstances, particularly for humanitarian assistance. i know in a we are doing that as far as car is concerned. one thing that we haven't had in car is we haven't had an embassy there, an active embassy for a very long time. >> thanks a lot. we are going to stop it there. i hope we can keep on watching this story s mark schroeder, ambassador sanders, thank you all. >> brings us to the end of this edition of inside story. thanks for being with us in washington.

i am ray suarez. >> welcome toays america. and outrage after a national guard member posts this controversial picture online. ♪