The Central African Republic has never been internationally recognized as a place where either civil society or human rights thrive. According to Amnesty International, their government has imposed war crimes, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, and sectarian killings. The most recent outbreak of war within the Central African Republic can attribute its catalyzing force to the ousting of President François Bozizé by Muslim Rebels in March 2013.

Now, this coup does not seem so far-fetched when considering that Muslims have traditionally been the group of people targeted for the human rights abuses listed above. The 15% Islamic population and 25% Christian population have historically been at odds with one another, and under the lens of this case study it is clear how deep this animosity runs. After living under an oppressive regime for so long the rebel group Séléka took their hand at a takeover of the capital city Bangui. And thus began a war.

But this has not been just any war. Anti-Bakala, formed as an opposition to the Séléka Muslims, and Séléka have resorted to “beheadings, cannibalism, old fashioned hacking, and murder.”

To give one an even better idea of how truly twisted the situation in the Central African Republic has come, many have taken it upon themselves to flee to the Democratic Republic of Congo on the other side of the Oubangi River. Yes, the same Democratic Republic of Congo where, since 1996, and despite numerous attempts at peace agreements in both 2003 and 2008, millions have died and millions have been displaced, children are kidnapped into becoming child soldiers, women are raped because men see it as their “right”, and houses are burned to the ground daily.

So take the conflict it the DRC and multiply it. That about sums up the CAR right now. According to a special Al Jazeera report on the war, “children and pregnant women have been hacked to death, severed limbs carried through the streets like trophies and suspected fighters of thieves burnt alive by mobs how have eaten their body parts.”

What began as a religiously affected political movement quickly escalated to senseless brutality and nonchalant, savage killing. Unfortunately, the International Community has been taking “the bare minimum” approach when it comes to providing aid to the CAR.

This really draws up an interesting situation – a situation that can be very closely compared to Rwanda. When the international community failed to respond the Hutu and Tutsi violence, over a third of the population ended up dead, and it was only until this that anyone dared utter that crippling eight-letter-word “genocide.”

What would happen if CAR turned into another Rwanda? The repercussions would be unthinkable, and if any international leader is in his or her right mind, they will resign from office because they have done one of the greatest disservices a civil servant can do. To plead ignorance to a situation they have the power to change. The international community must abandon their so-called “interests.” As far as I am concerned the number one “interest” of any leader should be humanity. At it’s most basic level, the right for humanity to live and exist and just be without the fear of being hacked to death or waking up in a burning home, their dead child lying beside them on the floor.

Get up out of your comfortable chairs of passive diplomacy. We’ve got real work to do.