US Extends State of Emergency in Central African Republic due to Unrest

The United States extends the state of emergency regarding the Central African Republic due to continuous unrest in the country, President Barack Obama said on Monday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Nearly 11,000 UN peacekeepers have been deployed to the Central African Republic in 2014 to maintain a fragile peace between Islamic Seleka rebels and Christian militias.

"The national emergency declared in Executive Order 13667 of May 12, 2014, with respect to the Central African Republic is to continue in effect beyond May 12, 2016," Obama stated.

Obama noted that the Central African Republic has been caught up in sectarian tension, widespread violence and use of child soldiers in conflicts.