UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – Almost two million people have registered to vote in the Central African Republic (CAR) elections, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said.
"On the eve of the presidential and legislative elections in the Central African Republic, the Secretary-General calls on all national stakeholders to commit themselves to ensuring that the elections are conducted in a peaceful and credible manner. The Secretary-General is encouraged to see that almost two million people have registered to vote," the United Nations said in a Tuesday statement.
According to Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) will be working on preventing any possible disruption during the elections, in cooperation with the national authorities.
The Central African Republic has been suffering from sectarian clashes between Muslims and Christians since the 2013 coup, when Muslim Seleka rebels seized control in the majority-Christian nation, overthrowing president Francois Bozize, who had ruled the country since 2003.
Thousands were killed in the ensuing violence and about 20 percent of the population fled their homes. Two successive interim governments, as well as thousands of UN and French peacekeepers, have struggled to stop the fighting and disarm militias since the conflict escalated.
Initially, elections in the CAR were planned for December 27, but were later postponed for several more days amid violence in the country.
