Central Africa Republic, Rebels Sign Peace Pact

Central Africa Republic, rebels sign peace pact

22 Jun 2008 11:56:50 GMT

Source: Reuters

By Antoine Lawson

LIBREVILLE, June 22 (Reuters) - Central African Republic's government has signed a peace accord with rebel groups that seeks to end several years of bush guerrilla war in the poor former French colony that borders with Sudan and Chad.

The accord, signed in Gabon's capital Libreville on Saturday, consolidates individual ceasefires already made by President Francois Bozize's government with three insurgent movements as part of a national peace process.

Bozize, who seized power in 2003 and won elections two years later, is promoting a political dialogue in Central African Republic to end rebellions in the northwest and northeast which have forced tens of thousands of civilians from their homes.

The violence, which has razed and emptied rural villages, driving their inhabitants into the bush, has included raids by armed groups crossing over the border from Chad and Sudan's Darfur region and counter-attacks by government troops.

The signing of the peace pact in the Gabonese capital was witnessed by Bozize and Gabon's President, Omar Bongo, who helped broker the deal, officials from both countries said.

It was signed by leaders of two rebel groups, the Popular Army for the Restoration of the Republic and Democracy (APRD), whose fighters operate in the northwest bordering Cameroon and Chad, and the Union of Democratic Forces for Unity (UFDR), which had been active in the northeast near the frontier with Sudan.

"We will pursue our efforts to reach a lasting peace," APRD President Jean-Jacques Demafouth, who initialled the peace pact along with UFDR leader Damane Zakaria, told reporters.

The leader of a third rebel group, the Democratic Front for the Central African People (FDPC), Abdoulaye Miskine, missed the signing ceremony as he was unable to make the trip from Tripoli. But the accord would be held open for his later signature.

Bozize, who plans to bring together for talks the rebel groups which have signed ceasefires, the government and civilian opponents, is hoping the deal will shield his country from the interlocking conflicts in Sudan's Darfur and eastern Chad.

AMNESTY AND DEMOBILISATION

The United Nations and foreign governments say only similar internal political settlements between the warring parties in Darfur and Chad can end the conflicts there.

Landlocked Central African Republic, one of the world's poorest states, has suffered 11 attempted coups or mutinies in the past decade alone. Instability had hampered the full exploitation of its gold, diamond and uranium wealth.

A contingent of European Union soldiers, part of a larger EU force (EUFOR) sent to east Chad this year to protect civilians and refugees, has been deployed in northeast Central African Republic to carry out similar security duties there.

Central African Republic's Communications Minister, Cyriaque Gonda, said the deal signed in Libreville included amnesty for the rebel fighters and foresaw their demobilisation for reintegration either into the national army or civilian life.

The amnesty offered to the rebel fighters under the peace deal did not however give immunity from prosecutions for war crimes or crimes against humanity which might by initiated by the International Criminal Court, based in The Hague.

The violence in Central African Republic stemmed from Bozize's 2003 overthrow of President Ange-Felix Patasse, following bloody fighting that included the systematic rape of hundreds of women. Many rapes were carried out by rebel fighters from Democratic Republic of Congo who backed Patasse.

(Writing by Pascal Fletcher)