Human Rights Watch has released satellite images of the destruction caused during a recent attack on the village of Camp Bangui in the Central African Republic.

The images, recorded on the morning of November 23, show half the village burnt to the ground.

The New York-based rights organisation said it has collected detailed satellite evidence of arson attacks on 15 additional villages and towns across the Central African Republic.

The UN is preparing to send a peacekeeping force to the lawless country, after months of violence since the deposition of former president Francois Bozizé in March.