As the Central African Republic is rolling into unrest with rebel forces advancing on its capital, Africa expert Lawrence Freeman says that the West has abandoned the continent and is interested only in its resources.

The United Nations said on Wednesday that it is temporarily relocating nonessential staff and families of other workers over security concerns.

“The temporary relocation is a precautionary measure to reduce our presence in the event the security situation further deteriorates in Bangui," UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said.

The Central African Republic has called on its former colonial ruler, France, to intervene to stop the possible overthrow of the government there. The insurgents form the Seleka coalition are some have already taken at least 10 towns meeting little resistance from soldiers and are now some 300km from the capital.

Meanwhile angry protesters threw stones at the French embassy in Bangui and tore down the French flag, criticizing the former colonizer for failing to do more to stop the rebels.

“It's France who colonized us – they should support us until the end. Unfortunately, they have done nothing. In this case, we are merely asking purely and simply that they leave our country,'' shouted one young demonstrator in front of the French mission in Bangui, AP reports.



Meanwhile, UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned the armed attacks on several towns by the rebels and urged all parties to refrain from any acts of violence against civilians.

"These developments gravely undermine the peace agreements in place and the efforts of the international community to consolidate peace in the Central African Republic,” he said in the statement.

France did not immediately respond to the request by Bangui, but said French troops will be deployed to secure the embassy.

Lawrence Freeman from Executive Intelligence Review magazine believes French President Francois Hollande will only cause more trouble if he intervenes.

“The French are playing a very bad role. Their role in Mali is not good at all. And if they get militarily involved again in the Central African Republic – that’s not going to be helpful. African countries are going to have to move in and solve these problems.”

Freeman explained to RT that what is going on in Central African Republic is similar to what has been happening in other African countries. These nations have very unstable governments and have never become truly sovereign as their colonial powers have always kept their finger on the resources and never allowed them to develop full governments.

The French, as well as other Western forces really don’t have a policy in Africa, Freeman asserts.

“It didn’t exist under Sarkozy, it doesn’t exist under Hollande, it doesn’t exist under Obama, it doesn’t exist under Cameron.”

“The West has abandoned Africa and is manipulating it, trying to get control of resources and access to certain strategic areas in the continent but has no real interest in developing the people or their governments,” Freeman said.

“Unless we have a change in policy – factually economic development and stability for Africa – we are going to see more and more of these crises.”

• A Permanent Economic Emergency