A 15-day nationwide state of emergency began in the Central African Republic at midnight Thursday in response to rebel-inspired violence over last month’s disputed reelection of President Faustin-Archange Touadera.

The state of emergency announcement Thursday came on the same day the head of the United Nations mission in the Central African Republic, MINUSCA, Mankeur Ndiaye, appealed to the U.N. Security Council to add more peacekeepers, warning the country was "at grave risk of a setback in terms of security and peacebuilding."

Ndiaye also suggested that regional and international support should be sought to support the Central African Republic.

Former president Francois Bozize has been blamed for the inflaming violence after the Constitutional Court rejected his candidacy in the Dec. 27 presidential election, which the court declared this week was won by Touadera.

The government and rebel groups entered into agreement in 2019 in attempt to suppress the unrest, but sporadic violence continues.

Tens of thousands of people in the country have sought refuge in neighboring countries, including Cameroon.  

VOA