Central African Republic dialogues to be postponed to allow for broad participation
3/12/2008 17:46
The political dialogues of the Central African Republic (CAR) will be
postponed several days for broad involvement of politicians, according to
visiting President Francois Bozize.
Bozize, who arrived in Gabon yesterday
for a brief visit, told a press conference that the dialogues between the
government and the rebels will be opened on Dec. 8 to allow for time to have
broad participation.
The dialogues had originally been scheduled for Dec.
5-20.
Bozize said Friday and Saturday will be spent on registration, without
ruling out the possibility of the participation by the Democratic Front for the
Central African People (FDPC) led by Abdoulaye Miskine.
Miskine is seen as an
associate of former President Ange-Felix Patasse, who is expected to return to
the capital Bangui on Sunday after five years in exile. He was ousted in a coup
by Bozize in 2003.
According to a "comprehensive peace agreement" reached in
Libreville on June 21, the CAR promulgates amnesty to all opponents and rebels
including Patasse. The FDPC, however, did not signed the deal.
Bozize said
Miskine was already on his way to Bangui and that Gabonese President Omar Bongo
Ondimba had promised his participation. "We have not seen why he won't be in
Bangui," said the president, who returned to the CAR in the afternoon.
The
FDPC, the Popular Army for the Restoration of Democracy ( APRD) and the Union of
Democratic Forces of Reassembly (UFDR) are the three rebel movements still
active in the north of the country.
After signing the June 21 peace accord,
the government, the APRD and the UFDR attended an international peace conference
last month in Gabon, where they declared the Dec. 5-20 dialogues in a step to
consolidate the peace process and end the years of conflict.
The peace
conference, the third of its kind hosted by Goban, was also attended by
officials from the United Nations, the European Union, the MICOPAX peace mission
and the International Organization of Francophonie.
The CAR, a landlocked
country among the world's poorest, won its independence from France in 1960. The
thinly-populated country has since witnessed coups and revolts. In 2002, Central
African countries began to deploy a 500-strong peacekeeping mission in the CAR.
The mission was renamed MICOPAX in July to include more countries in the region.
Xinhua
|
