BANGUI, Feb 25 (Reuters) – Rebels in Central African
Republic threatened on Monday to resume fighting, accusing
President Francois Bozize of failing to honour a peace deal
signed last month.
Bozize agreed in mid-January to form a national unity
government to end an insurgency which swept to within striking
distance of Bangui, the capital of the mineral-rich former
French colony.
Opposition figures and members of the rebel Seleka coalition
did take up key posts in that government in February – but the
insurgents said they were still waiting for the president to
free prisoners and meet other demands.
“We are waiting for Bozize to respect and implement the main
points … otherwise we will be forced to take up arms again,”
Nouredine Adam, a senior member of Seleka told Reuters.
No one was immediately available to comment from the
government.
Seleka, a grouping of five rebel movements, launched its
insurgency in early December, accusing Bozize of reneging on an
earlier peace deal.
As a condition of this year’s agreement, it demanded the
release of political prisoners and the withdrawal of most of the
foreign forces that were brought to reinforce the army during
the uprising.
Adam said in a separate statement neither of those
conditions had been met. He also accused Bozize of acquiring
weapons.
Seleka rebels refused on Sunday to start disarming or pull
out of positions in towns and villages on Sunday. Adam said
Seleka had not been consulted over the proposed withdrawal.
(Reporting By Paul-Marin Ngoupana; Writing by John Irish;
Editing by Andrew Heavens)
