Central African Republic's partners raise their voice against armed groups and Bozizé
François Bozizé.
Simon Maina / AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
5 mins
The climate is still just as precarious in the Central African Republic before the presidential election and the legislative elections of Sunday, December 27.
If yesterday was calm yesterday in Bangui, several clashes were on the other hand reported in the interior of the country and the capital is strengthening its security system.
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With our special correspondent in Bangui,
Florence Morice
"
Volatile and unpredictable,
" says a security source.
No clashes this Sunday in Bossembele where the Portuguese special forces of Minusca are deployed.
"
There are attempted incursions, but the situation is less tense
", assures the spokesperson of the mission, Vladimir Monteiro.
Overall on the country's main road, the situation is calmer, armed groups are less visible in the localities, but remain present.
Security sources do not exclude that they move away from the main axes to continue their progression through the bush.
On the other hand, clashes took place in Mbaïki, about a hundred kilometers south of Bangui.
An unusual presence of armed men is also reported in Baboua, in the north-west near the Cameroonian border.
Several authorities fear that they will cut the supply axis of the capital, in a strategy of blockade from a distance.
"
On both sides, each consolidates its positions,
" reports a military source.
On the government side, reinforcements arrived from Russia again this Sunday: several planes with men and equipment on board.
Rwanda also sent troops, being deployed.
Kigali says it is acting under a bilateral agreement with the Central African Republic.
Bozizé nominated by the partners of the Central African Republic
The international partners of the Central African Republic gathered in the G5 + call on "
François Bozizé
" and
the armed groups engaged in the offensive
underway in the country to "
lay down their arms
".
It was Sunday evening in a joint communiqué, signed by France, Russia, the United States, the European Union, the African Union, the Ceeac, and the UN and the World Bank.
This is the first time that
François Bozizé
has been explicitly accused by the partners of the Central African Republic of being responsible for the offensive in progress, as well as “
allied armed groups
” whose names are not mentioned.
The signatories of the communiques condemn "
their actions
" and call on them to lay down
their arms
"
immediately
", they evoke "
maneuvers
" intended to "
engage the country towards a new political transition
", a scenario that they reject.
The elections "
must be held on December 27
", write the signatories while on Sunday the opposition coalition to which François Bozizé belongs demanded their "
postponement
" given the insecurity as well as the opening of consultation.
A message of firmness therefore accompanied by a warning: the "
individual responsibility
" of the perpetrators of the offensives in progress in the country "
is engaged
", remind the signatories of the press release.
It must be said that the international community has invested heavily in the electoral process, particularly financially.
Even the Central African Republic sinking into a major crisis one week from the deadline would be a major step backwards.
■ In this context, the Central African Episcopal Conference also calls for the electoral calendar to be respected.
Monsignor Bertrand-Guy-Richard Appora-Ngalanibé, Vice-President of the Episcopal Conference
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Central African Republic