Tens of thousands of people poured onto the streets of the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR) on Friday to show support for General Francois Bozize, who ousted the elected president, Ange-Felix Patasse, in a military coup two weeks ago.
The marchers, who started gathering at 7:00 am (0600 GMT), chanted ”Bozize the liberator” and ”we’ve been freed”.
They carried placards saying ”Long live liberator Francois Bozize” and ”Yes to national reconciliation”.
”We’ve never seen anything like it,” said several witnesses.
The political opposition to Patasse, human rights organisations and women’s groups had urged people to turn out en masse to back General Bozize, who seized power on March 15.
The crowd was due to converge on a monument in Bangui to commemorate the former French colony’s founding father, Barthelemy Boganda. The man Bozize has named prime minister, Abel Goumba, was expected to make a speech at the monument.
Bozize has taken steps to crack down on looting which followed the coup and has tasked Goumbe, a highly respected veteran politician, with forming a consensus government to run the country ahead of a possible return to democratic rule.
Patasse, who was elected president in 1993 and re-elected in 1999, faced three army mutinies and two coup attempts during his nine years in power.
In May 2001, supporters of former military ruler Andre Kolingba staged a coup bid, which was followed by a crackdown that led 25 000 people from Bangui to flee into neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
Bozize, a former chief of the Central African Republic’s armed forces, made a first attempt to oust Patasse in October 2002. – Sapa-AFP