16 dead in fighting in Central African Republic capital

Balaka means “machete.”

In the interview on Thursday, Djotodia appealed for calm.

“We would like the French to help bring peace to our transition,” he said.

While the anti-balaka fighters include villagers defending their communities against Seleka attacks with artisanal hunting rifles and machetes, the group is believed to be receiving support from those still allied to Bozize.

The anti-balaka fighters also have been implicated in massacres on Muslim civilian populations, which also have suffered under the Seleka regime and say they are being unfairly blamed for Seleka's wanton destruction.

The death toll has been impossible to estimate in Central African Republic, a long lawless and desperately poor country in the heart of Africa where many roads have not been repaved since independence from France in 1960.

The U.N. Security Council resolution would authorize the deployment of an African Union-led force to Central African Republic for a year to protect civilians and restore security and public order.

The AU force is replacing a regional peacekeeping mission whose presence has been mainly limited to the capital and a few northern cities.

The U.N. resolution also would authorize French forces, for a temporary period, “to take all necessary measures” to support the AU-led force known as MISCA, whose troop numbers are expected to rise from about 2,500 to 3,500.