RCA: M. Bozizé promet de se retirer après la période de transition
Nations Unies, Bureau de Coordination (IRIN), 05 mai 2003, 01:08:44 Le chef de l’État centrafricain, François Bozizé, a annoncé le 25 avril qu’il se retirerait de la présidence après une période de transition d’une durée de 18 à 30 mois. "Je me suis donné pour mission de sauver la population de la République centrafricaine (RCA) et de gouverner le pays durant la transition. Ensuite, je me retirerai", a-t-il annoncé lors d’un point de presse à Libreville, capitale du Gabon.
Il effectuait une visite officielle au Gabon, où il s’est entretenu avec le président gabonais, Omar Bongo. Il s’agissait de sa première visite à l’extérieur de la RCA depuis qu’il s’est emparé du pouvoir, le 15 mars.
Durant ce point de presse, entièrement diffusé le 26 avril par la station officielle, Radio Centrafrique, M. Bozizé a indiqué qu’il entend visiter toutes les capitales de la sous-région avant de se rendre dans d’autres pays.
Il a déclaré que le soutien apporté à son administration par la Communauté économique et monétaire des États de l’Afrique centrale (CEMAC) représentait une première étape dans ses efforts pour obtenir une reconnaissance complète de la part de la communauté internationale. [Article complet sur http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=33723] (1)
Le 29 avril, une centaine de soldats de la République du Congo ont quitté Brazzaville pour consolider la force de la CEMAC dans la capitale de RCA, Bangui. Un contingent de 150 soldats congolais, faisant partie de la force de la CEMAC, se trouvait déjà sur place. [Article complet sur http://www.irinnews.org/print.asp?ReportID=33757] (2)
(1) - CENTRAL AFRICAN
REPUBLIC: Bozize to step down after transitional period
BANGUI, 28 Apr 2003 (IRIN) - Central African Republic
(CAR) leader Francois Bozize announced on Friday that he would
step down as president after a transition period of between 18
and 30 months.
"I gave myself the mission of saving the CAR people and
presiding over the transition and then I will step down," he
said at a news conference in Libreville, the Gabonese capital.
He was on an official visit to Gabon for talks with President
Omar Bongo. This was Bozize's first visit outside the CAR since
he seized power on 15 March.
During the news conference, which the official Radio Centrafrique
broadcast on Saturday in its entirety, Bozize said he would tour
all the subregional capitals before visiting other countries.
He said that the support given his administration by the Economic
and Monetary Community of Central African States (CEMAC)was the
first step in his bid for full recognition by the international
community.
CEMAC has sent troops to Bangui, the CAR capital, to maintain
peace. The force, which was initially to have been made up of 350
troops from Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, the Republic of
Congo, and Mali – a non-CEMAC member - is to be joined by a
Chadian contingent, whose size is yet to be fixed.
Before the coup that ousted Ange-Felix Patasse, the CEMAC force
was initially mandated to protect him, secure the CAR-Chad border
and restructure the CAR army. After the coup, regional leaders
redefined the mission. Bozize said that with the new mandate, the
CEMAC force would operate nationwide.
(2)- CENTRAL AFRICAN
REPUBLIC-CONGO: Another 100 ROC soldiers join CEMAC force in
Bangui
BRAZZAVILLE, 29 Apr 2003 (IRIN) - Some 100 soldiers from
the Republic of Congo (ROC) left the capital, Brazzaville, on
Monday in support of an international peacekeeping force of the
Economic and Monetary Community of Central African States (known
by its French acronym CEMAC) in the Central African Republic
(CAR). They will join a contingent of 150 soldiers from the ROC
sent there in January.
The CEMAC force - created on 2 October 2002 at a regional summit
in Libreville - is to comprise troops from Gabon, Cameroon,
Equatorial Guinea, ROC, and Mali, which is not a member of the
regional community. International donors had agreed to support a
force of 350 men, Martin Mavoungou, the CEMAC force
commander-in-chief, told IRIN in the CAR capital, Bangui, on 8
April.
The CEMAC force's original mandate was to protect former
President Ange-Felix Patasse, reform the CAR army, and monitor
the situation along the CAR border with Chad. However, on 15
March, the former army chief of staff, Francois Bozize, ousted
Patasse in a coup and declared himself the new president.
Fighting left three CEMAC soldiers dead.
A redefinition of the CEMAC force's mandate is due to be
developed in coming weeks by member states.