Written by Crispin Dembassa-Kette & Bate FelixFrom Reuters

Central African Republic authorities have told mobile phone operators to suspend text messages following calls on services for a nationwide civil disobedience campaign to protest against violence.

An organisation called Collectif Centrafrique Debout has been distributing SMS messages since the weekend asking people to stay home starting Thursday following more inter-communal bloodshed in the capital Bangui.

The government did not say who was behind the campaign but in the mass messages, the organisation urged people to stay at home until there is complete disarmament, especially of the PK5 Muslim neighbourhood.

“On the instruction of the Prime Minister…in order to contribute to the restoration of security in the country, the use of SMS by all mobile phone subscribers is suspended,” Communications Minister Abdallah Assan Kadre said in a statement.

The suspension will be in effect until further notice.

Central African Republic has been gripped by ethnic and religious violence since northern Seleka rebels, who are mostly Muslim, seized power in the mainly Christian nation in 2013.

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