[ 2013-03-23 ]

Central African rebels close in on capital
BANGUI (AFP) - Rebels in the Central African
Republic advanced on the capital claiming they
were at "the gates of Bangui", after the collapse
of a two-month-old peace deal.

Troops from the Seleka rebel coalition on Friday
shot their way through the key Damara checkpoint
some 75 kilometres (50 miles) north of the
capital, said a source with the Multinational
Force of Central Africa (FOMAC), a regional
stabilisation mission which was manning the
roadblock.

"The rebels stormed the checkpoint and passed
through.... There were shots but no wounded," said
the source on condition of anonymity. "They are on
the road to Bangui. We're on the highest alert."

Colonel Djouma Narkoyo, a rebel chief contacted by
AFP by telephone from Libreville, said: "We are at
the gates of Bangui.

"I cannot tell you where, it is a military secret
as well as our numbers, but Damara is behind us."

A French foreign ministry statement confirmed that
the rebels were "only a few kilometres" from
Bangui. Ministry spokesman Philippe Lalliot called
for "all parties to show restraint and respect the
civilian populations".

Narkoyo said "the last barrier is the South
Africans", referring to South African troops on a
stabilisation mission in the capital.

A South African helicopter had overflown their
position, he said.

"They fired on us below but there were no victims"
from the attack. His report could not be
independently confirmed.

The government denied the rebels had passed Damara
in a statement on national radio, and urged
residents of Bangui to not "give in to panic".

As reports of a rebel advance spread quickly in
the capital, the streets emptied as people rushed
home or tried to flee the city.

"Everyone is going home," a shopkeeper said in a
telephone interview. "Students have been released
from classes. We're waiting. We're worried."

One boat operator at the city's port said hundreds
of people were trying to cross the Ubangi river to
seek shelter in neighbouring Democratic Republic
of Congo.

"The indications that we have about Central Africa
are worrying," French Foreign Minister Laurent
Fabius said, adding France would do what was
necessary to ensure its nationals were protected.

The ministry said it had told around 1,000 French
nationals who live in the former French colony to
be vigilant.

President Francois Bozize met South African
President Jacob Zuma in Pretoria on Friday, a
government website there reported, but there were
no details of their talks.

In January, when the rebels were sweeping south
towards the capital, Zuma sent 400 South African
troops to the country to back efforts to stabilise
the situation. But they were only due to stay
until the end of March.

The latest rebel offensive came two days after
Seleka announced it would resume hostilities after
a deadline for the government to meet its demands
under a January 11 peace deal expired.

Seleka, an alliance of three rebel movements,
first launched an offensive on December 10 in the
north of the chronically unstable country.

Facing little resistance from an ill-trained and
ill-equipped army, the rebel forces -- who accused
Bozize of not respecting earlier peace deals --
seized a string of key towns. They defied UN
Security Council calls to stop, before halting
within striking distance of Bangui.

Under the January peace deal, an opposition
member, Nicolas Tiangaye, became head of a
national unity government that was to carry out
reforms before national elections next year.

But the deal remained fragile, with the rebels
threatening to pull out if their demands were not
met. They wanted the release of political
prisoners and for foreign soldiers to leave the
country.

Over the weekend, the rebels detained five
ministers from the new government to lend force to
their demands for concessions from the
authorities.

Bozize then offered to release political prisoners
and end a night-time curfew but Seleka said that
was not enough.

UN leader Ban Ki-Moon called on Seleka to
"immediately halt its military offensive" and for
all sides to stick to the January 11 peace accord,
his spokesman Martin Nesirky said.

The UN Security Council said the new troubles
"jeopardise the precarious stability" of the
country.

Central African Republic, a landlocked nation of
4.4 million people, has been plagued by
instability since its independence in 1960. Bozize
seized power in a 2003 coup.

Source - AFP

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