Hundreds of South African troops are headed to the embattled Central
African Republic, where they will work alongside members of that
nation's military who are trying to quash a rebellion. FULL STORY
January 7, 2013 -- Updated 1130 GMT (1930 HKT)
UN official: C.A.R. in crisis
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- South Africa's president orders the deployment of 400 troops to the Central African Republic
- The directive says the South African troops help build up the central African nation's military
- Rebels began fighting last month, claiming CAR's president reneged on a peace deal
- President Bozize has called for international help, and peace talks are set for next week
South African President
Jacob Zuma on Sunday announced the deployment of 400 troops "to render
support in fulfillment of an international obligation of the Republic of
South Africa towards the CAR."
Despite fits and starts
in the peace process, the insurgency in the Central African Republic
remains an active and real threat to the government of President
Francois Bozize. On Saturday, rebels attacked two more towns -- having
already seized several others, as well as threatening to head to the
capital of Bangui -- according to a government official.
Zuma's directive does not
indicate South African troops will fight rebels directly. Rather, the
statement says they "will assist with capacity building of the CAR
Defense Force and will also assist CAR with the planning and
implementation of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration
processes."
Freeing Africa's child soldiers
U.S. diplomats leave C.A.R. amid unrest
"The employment of
members of (South Africa's military) to CAR is one of the efforts that
South Africa is making to bring about peace and stability in the
region," said the South African statement, which was released through
government spokesman Mac Maharaj.
The crisis started in
December, when the Seleka rebel coalition accused Bozize of reneging on a
peace deal and demanded he step down. They seized towns in the northern
part of the landlocked country and threatened to march on Bangui.
Bozize has called on the international community, including the United States and France, to help stave off the rebellion.
The foreign ministers
from the Economic Community of Central African States will meet Tuesday
in Gabon's capital, Libreville, to set an agency for peace talks, said
Placide Ibouanga Ndinga, a spokesman for the group.
By Thursday, the talks
were expected to include the Seleka, opposition party officials, private
sector representatives, U.N. officials and Bozize, according to Ndinga.
Still, some in the
Central African Republic questioned the utility of such talks, if they
occur as rebels continue to wage attacks.
"How can there be peace
if the rebels are looting, raping and abducting our civilians?" said
Jules Gauthier Ngbapo, a spokesman for Josue Binoua, minister of
decentralization and territorial administration.
Ngbapo said that around 1
a.m. Saturday, rebels attacked the towns of Alindao and Kouango, which
lie between Bangui and Bambari, a town it already had seized.
The rebels yelled to
civilians, asking them to come out and promising that they'd protect
them, the spokesman said. He accused the opposition fighters of
"shooting randomly, destroying properties and ... raping civilians."
"Civilians are afraid,
and most of them have fled the town and are now hiding in the forests,"
he added. "But the rebels are still patrolling the towns, waiting for
the innocent people to come out."
CNN was unable to confirm the government claims about the occupation of the towns.
As the government scrambles to put down the rebellion, alarm is growing as children are separated from their relatives.
"Reliable sources have
informed us that children are newly being recruited among their ranks.
These reports are of serious concern," said Souleymane Diabate, the U.N.
children agency's representative in the nation.
Armed groups are forcing people younger than 18 to fight, carry supplies and serve as sex slaves, the agency said last Friday.
Before the conflict
started last month, 2,500 children were linked to various armed groups.
That number is expected to rise as the recent conflict continues,
officials said.
About 300,000 children
have been affected by the rebellion, including family separation, sexual
violence, displacement and lack of access to education and health
facilities.
CNN's Michael Martinez and Laura Smith-Spark contributed to this report. COPY http://edition.cnn.com
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário