French troops patrol the Central African Republic (CAR), a country without a government after the president and prime minister agreed to step down under pressure from regional leaders for failing to halt inter-religious violence in the Central African Republic.<br /><br />The resignations led to scenes of jubilation.<br /><br />President Djotodia seized power in a coup in March last year when thousands of his fighters, known as the Seleka, stormed the capital, Bangui. The violent aftermath forced one million people from their homes in fear. <br /><br />“Peace will return to the CAR. There will no longer be any war between the Christians and the Muslims because the man who came to divide us has left,” said a local Bangui resident.<br /><br />Months of abuses by the president’s mainly Muslim rebels led to the creation of Christian defence militia.<br /><br />After the coup, heavily armed rebels carried out atrocities against civilians, with reports of people being tied together and thrown off bridges leaving hundreds dead.<br /><br />French soldiers and African Union peacekeepers have struggled to restore order in the former French colony.<br /><br />European Union governments broadly backed proposals on Friday for the EU to quickly send troops to help.<br /><br />The EU ambassadors, meeting in Brussels, asked EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton to present a more detailed paper next week, with a view to EU foreign ministers taking a decision on the force on January 20, a spokesman for Ashton said.<br /><br />Belgium has said it would consider putting boots on the ground as part of an EU operation.
