UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon greets Central African Republic President Catherine Samba-Panza as he arrives for a meeting in Central African Republic prior to the EU Africa summit at the EU Council building in Brussels, April 2, 2014. Photo: AP
(VOVworld)- Leaders of the European Union and Africa gathered in Brussels on Tuesday to pledge increased support to the Central African Republic to halt the widespread violence there between Christians and Muslims.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the 4th EU-AU summit, Herman Van Rompuy, Chairman of the EU Commission, said the crisis is of grave concern to the EU. U
N Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on countries to send more soldiers and money to the EU joint forces there. He said the UN plans to deploy 12,000 soldiers and policemen to the Central African Republic by mid-September to replace the African-led International Support Mission.
Meanwhile, French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed their willingness to collaborate with the African Union to end the violence.