South Africa stands ready to assist the Central African Republic (CAR) return the situation to normalcy, the presidency said on Saturday.

This message was conveyed by President Jacob Zuma who has just returned home from Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, where Zuma attended in the first meeting of the International Contact Group on the situation in the CAR, presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said.

The meeting deliberated on and took a number of decisions regarding the unfolding political, security and humanitarian situation in the CAR, according to Maharaj.

He said the meeting called on the transitional authorities in the CAR to work with urgency towards the full restoration of constitutional order in that country.

Among other things, the CAR transitional authorities were urged to ensure the protection of civilians, access of humanitarian actors to the people in need, the reactivation of the public administration and the restructuring of the defence and security sector, Maharaj said.

The CAR transitional government was formed under a decision made by the summit of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) at a summit in early April.

The decision allows the transitional government to run the CAR in the interim and organize elections within 18 months.

The South African government has acknowledged the progress towards the resolution of the situation in the CAR since the transitional government was formed.

It said it will continue to "play a positive and constructive role in conflict resolution and peace-keeping efforts on the African continent," indicating that it may send troops to the CAR again if necessary.