10 mosques reopen in Central African Republic

Ten mosques have reopened in Central African Republic (CAR)'s capital city of Bangui, as Muslims begin to return home after months of sectarian violence, a top cleric says. The mosques were closed after people escaped the violence due to fighting between rival ethnic groups in the landlocked country, said Aliou Ousseini, one of CAR's most influential clerics. “A house of worship closing its doors is not a good thing,” Ousseini said, hoping that the recent drop in violence would continue its trend. According to UN figures, over 95 percent of the 436 mosques in the country were destroyed in the conflict between Christian militias and Muslims. Meanwhile, some 3,000 Muslims who fled the violence have returned home, according to Abacar Ousmane, a spokesman for Muslims in Bangui.