The rebels who have seized hold of much of the Central African Republic (CAR) yesterday renewed their threat to enter the capital Bangui, accusing the government of abuses against the population and those close to the rebels.
“We call on the African peacekeeping forces to intervene immediately in the capital to stop the abuses and murders of prisoners, or that they don’t prevent us from doing so,” rebel spokesman Eric Massi said by telephone.
His comments follow a proposal by the leader of the African Union, Beninese President Thomas Boni Yayi, of a government of national unity to resolve the conflict in the CAR.
Photo: Reuters
Boni Yayi arrived in Bangui on Sunday to try to find a negotiated resolution to the crisis. The president of the African Union met with Central African Republic President Francois Bozize and then made an appeal to the rebels.
“I beg my rebellious brothers, I ask them to cease hostilities, to make peace with President Bozize and the Central African people,” Boni Yayi said at a press conference in Bangui. “If you stop fighting, you are helping to consolidate peace in Africa. African people do not deserve all this suffering. The African continent needs peace and not war.”
Boni Yayi said that Bozize had pledged to have an open dialogue with the rebels with the goal of establishing a government of national unity, which would include representation from the rebels and the Bozize government.
Bozize also addressed the conference and said, although he plans to stay in power until his term ends in 2016, he is not against having the rebels enter a coalition government.
“We’ll probably be able to set up a national unity government. I apologize to the suffering Central African people,” Bozize said. “It is a message of peace to my brothers of Central African Republic.”
The African Union’s leader arrived in Bangui when many feared there would be a fight over the capital, a city of 600,000.
According to several families in Bangui, members of the Presidential Guard have kidnapped people suspected of supporting the rebels who have seized 10 cities in the country’s north over the past three weeks.
A rebel spokesman, Colonel Juma Narkoyo, warned Bozize: “We warn the head of state and his family to stop abducting our parents. They have nothing to do with it. If he wants to solve its problems, he comes to meet us on the ground. We expect firm feet.”
He said that a dozen people have already been arrested in Bangui.
On his arrival in Bangui, Yayi Boni had a private meeting for more than two hours with Bozize in the VIP lounge of Mpoko airport, which is secured by French troops.
So far Boni Yayi has no meetings scheduled with rebels or with the democratic opposition.
Boni Yayi’s diplomatic effort comes as France has deployed an additional 180 troops to protect its interests.
The French reinforcements arrived on Sunday from Gabon, bringing the total French military force in Bangui to nearly 600, Colonel Thierry Burkhard said on Sunday. The troops are to protect French residents in the capital, which many fear will be attacked by the rebels.
Bozize earlier appealed to France for help against the rebels, but French President Francois Hollande’s government said it would only protect French interests and would not prop up the Bangui government.
Republican US lawmakers on Friday criticized US President Joe Biden’s administration after sanctioned Chinese telecoms equipment giant Huawei unveiled a laptop this week powered by an Intel artificial intelligence (AI) chip. The US placed Huawei on a trade restriction list in 2019 for contravening Iran sanctions, part of a broader effort to hobble Beijing’s technological advances. Placement on the list means the company’s suppliers have to seek a special, difficult-to-obtain license before shipping to it. One such license, issued by then-US president Donald Trump’s administration, has allowed Intel to ship central processors to Huawei for use in laptops since 2020. China hardliners
A top Vietnamese property tycoon was on Thursday sentenced to death in one of the biggest corruption cases in history, with an estimated US$27 billion in damages. A panel of three hand-picked jurors and two judges rejected all defense arguments by Truong My Lan, chair of major developer Van Thinh Phat, who was found guilty of swindling cash from Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) over a decade. “The defendant’s actions ... eroded people’s trust in the leadership of the [Communist] Party and state,” read the verdict at the trial in Ho Chi Minh City. After the five-week trial, 85 others were also sentenced on
Conjoined twins Lori and George Schappell, who pursued separate careers, interests and relationships during lives that defied medical expectations, died this month in Pennsylvania, funeral home officials said. They were 62. The twins, listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest living conjoined twins, died on April 7 at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, obituaries posted by Leibensperger Funeral Homes of Hamburg said. The cause of death was not detailed. “When we were born, the doctors didn’t think we’d make 30, but we proved them wrong,” Lori said in an interview when they turned 50, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. The
RAMPAGE: A Palestinian man was left dead after dozens of Israeli settlers searching for a missing 14-year-old boy stormed a village in the Israeli-occupied West Bank US President Joe Biden on Friday said he expected Iran to attack Israel “sooner, rather than later” and warned Tehran not to proceed. Asked by reporters about his message to Iran, Biden simply said: “Don’t,” underscoring Washington’s commitment to defend Israel. “We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel. We will help defend Israel and Iran will not succeed,” he said. Biden said he would not divulge secure information, but said his expectation was that an attack could come “sooner, rather than later.” Israel braced on Friday for an attack by Iran or its proxies as warnings grew of