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Aid group appalled by CAR violence

BANGUI, Central African Republic, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Relief agency Doctors without Borders said Wednesday it was "horrified" by the appalling situation in the Central African Republic.

The international humanitarian organization said it was troubled by the wave of killings across the CAR in recent weeks. It said more than 80 percent of the surgeries it has performed in the country have been for conflict-related injuries.

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Erna Rijinierse, a surgeon working for the agency, said the situation for CAR civilians was precarious. "[We are] horrified by what we are seeing, including burnt villages and appalling scenes of murder," she said in a statement.

Relief workers with the agency said they've heard numerous first-hand accounts of public executions carried out by armed bandits in the country. It said much of the violence in CAR was characterized by religious differences.

Adama Dieng and Jennifer Welsh, two U.N. advisers addressing genocide and the protection of civilians, expressed concern recently that "the international community has yet to engage in a concerted way to prevent atrocities in CAR."

Doctors Without Borders said it was one of the few aid organizations still working in CAR.

"Those who are fleeing are in desperate need of assistance, as well as the sense of protection that the presence of aid agencies brings," Rijinierse said.

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