The incident reflected
the growing complexity of the situation in the Central African Republic,
a former French colony plunged into chaos last year after a coalition
of mostly Muslim rebels ousted President Francois Bozize.
They have since been forced out of power, but Christian and Muslim militias continue to battle for control.
Human rights
investigators said the March 29 incident began when Chadian national
army soldiers entered Bangui in a convoy of several military pick-up
trucks.
They entered a crowded market where shoppers included women and children, and opened fire, a U.N. report said Friday.
"As panic-stricken people
fled in all directions, the soldiers allegedly continued firing
indiscriminately," said Rupert Colville, spokesman for the U.N.'s office
of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
"Several sources told the
investigating team that they believed the Chadian force had entered
Bangui to extract remaining Chadians and other Muslim inhabitants in
order to save them from further attacks by (Christian militias),"
Colville said.
The U.N. said the
soldiers who were responsible for the Bangui attack were Chadian
soldiers but not among those who are part of the African-led
International Support Mission peacekeeping mission that's trying to
stabilize the Central African Republic.
"It seems they have gone straight back to Chad without being apprehended," Colville said of the attackers.
About 850 Chadian
soldiers are part of the 6,000-strong peacekeeping presence, but on
Thursday, Chad's foreign ministry issued a statement saying the country
planned to withdraw its troops from the force, according to CNN French
affiliate BFMTV.
"Despite the sacrifices
we have made, Chad and Chadians have been targeted in a gratuitous and
malicious campaign that blamed them for all the suffering in (Central
African Republic)," said a statement from Chad's foreign ministry.
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