Landlocked CAR is, according to advisors, on the brink of a civil war.
France to send 1,000 more troops to Central African Republic, to join the 400 or so already in place.
One issue is sectarian violence between Christian and Muslim groups in the country.
Reports suggest the country is in utter chaos with armed gangs committing all sorts of atrocities, including shootings, burnings, rape and murder.
As well as French troops (sent as the CARs former colonial power) there are African Union peace troops all ready in place and more to join by January, to increase the total to 3600. But the current 2500 are struggling to maintain any order in a country larger than France with very little infrastructure (many villages have no paved roads).
The UN deputy secretary general has claimed that 1/3 of the countries 4.6 million inhabitants are in dire need of food, shelter, protection, healthcare and other necessities.
The mineral rich nation has a chequered history of coups and chaos. Trouble has flared again since the president, Francois Bozize, was overthrown by a coalition of rebel groups, including mercenaries from Chad and Sudan.
Increasingly the violence has pitted the mainly Muslim Seleka rebels against the Christians of the south. In the CAR Muslims = 15/% and Christians 1/2 of the population.
Amnesty has called for action and declares it may descend further if nothing is done. Ban Ki moon (UN secretary general) has pledged to send in UN peace keeping troops to total 11,000 if the crisis worsens.
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