The Central African Republic is “on the verge of genocide,” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Thursday, as the UN mulls whether to send thousands of peacekeepers to the troubled country.

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France warned on Thursday that the Central African Republic was "on the verge of genocide", as the UN considers sending thousands of peacekeepers to the strife-torn country.

"It's total disorder," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told France 2 television, adding that the United Nations was considering authorising African and French troops to intervene in the country.

"You have seven surgeons for a population of five million, an infant mortality rate of 25 percent in some areas and 1.5 million people who have nothing, not even food, and armed gangs, bandits, etc," he said.

The former French colony, an impoverished country rich in natural resources ranging from gold to uranium, has descended into chaos since a coalition of rebels known as Seleka ousted President Francois Bozize in March.

There are about 400,000 internally displaced people, 64,000 refugees, and burned villages, largely in the western part of the country.

Since seizing power aided by the Seleka alliance, transitional President Michel Djotodia has failed to control the ex-rebel fighters despite being officially dissolved.

(FRANCE 24 with AP and AFP)

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