African militias sign peace deal in CAR

A peace deal has been reached between the Central African Republic government and 14 armed groups after their first-ever direct dialogue aimed at ending years of conflict, the UN and African Union announced yesterday.

The agreement represents rare hope for the impoverished, landlocked nation where inter-religious and inter-communal fighting has continued since 2013.

The fighting began in 2013 but violence intensified and spread last year after a period of relative peace as armed groups battle over lands rich in gold, diamonds and uranium.

Thousands of people have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced in a conflict that has sent at least two people to the International Criminal Court.

At least half of the more than 640,000 displaced people are children, and thousands of them are thought to have joined armed groups, often under pressure.