Body calls for loosening of Central African arms embargo

The head of the United Nations' peacekeeping mission (MINUSCA) in Central African Republic called on the Security Council to loosen an arms embargo in the country and prepare for the army's rehabilitation, he said late on Wednesday.

The request comes amid deepening insecurity in the capital Bangui, where militia attacks and tit-for-tat violence have killed about 90 people since September, prompting calls from politicians and civilians to rearm the military.