U.N. to discuss Central African Republic peacekeeping force as violence escalates

Bangui, Central African Republic (CNN) -- Months after a coup escalated chaos and violence in the Central African Republic, the U.N. Security Council meets Thursday to discuss how to stabilize the nation.

Hours before the meeting, heavy gunfire erupted near the presidential palace in the capital of Bangui, witnesses said.

A senior military official said they are assessing the situation and have sent patrols to the area.

Violence has raged since a coalition of rebels ousted President Francois Bozize in March, the latest in a series of coups since the nation gained independence.

U.N. warns against another "never again"

Crisis in Central African Republic

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Lawlessness and violence raged as Christian vigilante groups formed to battle Seleka, the predominantly Muslim coalition behind the President's ouster.

Left uncontrolled, militia groups are uniting along religious lines, leading to fears of sectarian violence.

An unknown number of people have been killed in remote rural areas too risky to access. United Nations officials have warned that the violence between the Christian majority and Muslim minority now in power could lead to genocide.

More than 400,000 people -- nearly 10% of the population -- have been internally displaced, according to the United Nations.

"They are hiding in the bush without shelter, food, or drinking water, exposed to the weather and mosquitoes that carry malaria, the leading cause of death in the country," Doctors Without Borders said in a statement. The group has operated in the country for years and is helping dispatch mobile units to take care of the wounded.

An African Union force is already in the nation, but rights group say it's not enough to halt the escalating violence.

Last month, France pledged to send about 1,000 more troops to add to the 400 already there. The current troops in the nation, it says, are there to protect French nationals and help secure the airport in the capital. Sources in the African Union mission to the Central African Republic said Wednesday that more French troops are on their way to the nation.

The U.N. has suggested its peacekeeping force should eventually augment the African-led mission, and the meeting Thursday will focus on that.

Bozize fled the country after the coup led by rebel leader Michel Djotodia.

A transitional government is in place led by Djotodia, who was commander of the Seleka rebels. But the country continues to be wracked by unrest and new elections have yet to be held.