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Thousands of civilians have reportedly fled to the Central African Republic's main international airport in order to escape from former rebel fighters, occupying the tarmac for 18 hours as a sign of protest, witnesses and officials say.
Aljazeera news reported that, residents of the Boeing quarter, located adjacent to the capital's M'poko airport, began fleeing their homes on Tuesday night after Seleka fighters starting firing in the neighbourhood.
According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), between 5,000 and 6,000 people gathered at the airport.
Peacekeepers present at the airport intervened on Wednesday, firing water cannon and tear gas to disperse the crowd after some protesters began throwing stones at them.
By late afternoon, the runway had been cleared, government officials and peacekeepers said, but thousands returned to reoccupy it on Thursday.
"There were no deaths, just a few wounded. But the situation is under control," new security and public order minister Josue Binoua said of the clearing on Wednesday.
The occupation of the airport has barred airport activities.
A senior officer with the Central African regional peacekeeping mission based at the airport said the thousands of civilians who fled there overnight had refused to leave the tarmac.
"They came here because they are afraid," he said. The peacekeepers were forced to intervene to stop Seleka fighters from entering, he said.
Residents of the Boeing neighbourhood said that what started as an evacuation had become a protest against the state of lawlessness.
"Our presence here at the airport has one goal - to get the world's attention. Because we are fed up with these Seleka," said Antoine Gazama, a resident.
