The Central African Republic’s government on Wednesday formally signed a peace deal with 14 armed groups in the capital Bangui.
The peace deal is a culmination of 10 days of talks, which took place in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, and was made possible under the African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation in the C.A.R. led by the African Union (AU) and with UN support.
The C.A.R. descended into turmoil in 2013 when Muslim rebels from the Seleka umbrella group seized power in the majority-Christian country.
A band of mostly Christian militias, called the anti-Balaka, rose up to counter the Seleka.
Thousands of people have been killed in the violence which also forced millions others to flee their homes.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in 2019, 2.9 million people, more than half of whom are children, will need humanitarian and protection assistance; more than 63 per cent of a population of 4.6 million.
Actors hope the deal signed on Wednesday will bring an end to the fighting and pacify the nation.
