UN peacekeepers say C.Africa rebel push ‘under control’
G5+ jointly call for new elections
Rebel forces advancing on the Central African Republic's capital Bangui have been pushed back and the situation is "under control," a spokesman for UN peacekeeping forces said Sunday, as tensions mount a week before key elections.
The government had alleged an attempted coup when three of the powerful armed groups that control most of the country's territory began advancing towards the capital along critical main roads, ahead of presidential and legislative elections scheduled for Sunday. Earlier Sunday, the Coalition of the Democratic Opposition (COD-2020) called for the votes to be postponed "until the reestablishment of peace and security." Uniting the main parties and movements opposed to President Faustin-Archange Touadera, COD-2020 was until recently led by former president Francois Bozize, who the government said on Saturday was at the head of rebel fighters massing not far from the capital.
Vladimir Monteiro, spokesman for the UN's MINUSCA peacekeeping force, told AFP Sunday that "the armed groups have left the town" of Yaloke, on one of the routes towards Bangui, and that they had given up ground in two other areas.
MINUSCA had "sent blue helmets to Mbaiki, where there were clashes on Saturday... to block the armed groups." Monteiro added: "the situation is under control."
But security and humanitarian sources said that parts of the armed groups were still on the ground around Bossembele - around 150 kilometres from Bangui.
The government had said Saturday that former president Bozize was at Bossembele with fighters from three rebel groups which announced a coalition on Saturday called the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC).
They urged members to "scrupulously respect the integrity of the civilian population" and to allow vehicles belonging to the UN and humanitarian groups to circulate freely in the former French colony.
In a joint statement, a group known as the G5+ - France, Russia, the US, the EU and the World Bank - urged Bozize and allied armed groups to lay down their arms, calling for the elections to go ahead on Sunday.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for calm and called on all sides to ensure credible elections and peace.
And the 11,000-strong MINUSCA force warned Saturday it would "use all means at its disposal including planes to prevent violence." Meanwhile, Bozize's KNK party denied the former leader wanted to carry out a putsch.
Two pirogues areseen next to ech other during a race in Bangui, Central African Republic, on December 1. Photo: VCG
The government had alleged an attempted coup when three of the powerful armed groups that control most of the country's territory began advancing towards the capital along critical main roads, ahead of presidential and legislative elections scheduled for Sunday. Earlier Sunday, the Coalition of the Democratic Opposition (COD-2020) called for the votes to be postponed "until the reestablishment of peace and security." Uniting the main parties and movements opposed to President Faustin-Archange Touadera, COD-2020 was until recently led by former president Francois Bozize, who the government said on Saturday was at the head of rebel fighters massing not far from the capital.
Vladimir Monteiro, spokesman for the UN's MINUSCA peacekeeping force, told AFP Sunday that "the armed groups have left the town" of Yaloke, on one of the routes towards Bangui, and that they had given up ground in two other areas.
MINUSCA had "sent blue helmets to Mbaiki, where there were clashes on Saturday... to block the armed groups." Monteiro added: "the situation is under control."
But security and humanitarian sources said that parts of the armed groups were still on the ground around Bossembele - around 150 kilometres from Bangui.
The government had said Saturday that former president Bozize was at Bossembele with fighters from three rebel groups which announced a coalition on Saturday called the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC).
They urged members to "scrupulously respect the integrity of the civilian population" and to allow vehicles belonging to the UN and humanitarian groups to circulate freely in the former French colony.
In a joint statement, a group known as the G5+ - France, Russia, the US, the EU and the World Bank - urged Bozize and allied armed groups to lay down their arms, calling for the elections to go ahead on Sunday.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for calm and called on all sides to ensure credible elections and peace.
And the 11,000-strong MINUSCA force warned Saturday it would "use all means at its disposal including planes to prevent violence." Meanwhile, Bozize's KNK party denied the former leader wanted to carry out a putsch.
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