Central African Republic wants U.N. force as EU troops OKed

A French peacekeeping soldier searches a man for weapons in the city centre of the capital Bangui January 25, 2014. REUTERS/Siegfried Modola

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council approved on Tuesday the planned deployment of European troops to Central African Republic in a bid to stop violence between Christians and Muslims as the country's president called for a U.N. peacekeeping mission.

Almost one million people, or a quarter of the population, have been displaced by fighting since the mostly Muslim Seleka rebel group seized power in March last year in the majority Christian country. At least 2,000 people have been killed.