30 killed in C Africa capital in three days : ICRC

BANGUI, Jan 31 (AFP): Fighting in the capital of strife-torn Central African Republic has killed at least 30 people over the past three days, the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Friday.

Thirty bodies have been collected from the streets of Bangui, the head of the ICRC delegation Georgios Georgantas said, adding that he was very concerned by the "unprecedented level of violence" that has also left at least 60 people wounded.

Georgantas urged the authorities and some 7,000 French and African troops deployed to help end months of inter-religious violence to "take up their responsibilities".

He also called on civilians "to respect the emblem of the Red Cross and its personnel while they do their jobs".

"When we go through roadblocks to evacuate the wounded, each trip calls for long and difficult negotiations to move on. This endangers the lives of the wounded and causes a lot of stress to our personnel," he added.

The violence in the poor, landlocked nation erupted when former rebels of the mainly Muslim Seleka coalition that seized power in March last year targeted civilians, which prompted fighters from the Christian majority to form community self-defence groups known as "anti-balaka" (anti-machete).