Bangui

Residents in the Central African Republic (CAR) appealed on Monday for international help to curb cross-border rebel raids in which more than 150 children and adults people have been kidnapped. An open letter said the worst incident was in March when rebels looted and burned down houses in the south-east and kidnapped 157 locals.

Rebels fighting a low-intensity war in the north-east of the Central African Republic (CAR), one of the poorest countries on earth, have agreed to release 400 child soldiers, the United Nations children’s agency, Unicef, said on Friday. A spokesperson for Unicef in the capital, Bangui, said the children were expected to be demobilised in early June.

A Central African Republic rebel group and the government were to sign a deal on Friday to put an end to hostilities and share power, officials said. ”The time has come to make peace and work together for the reconstruction of our country,” said Damane Zakaria, the military chief of the rebel Union of Democratic Forces Coalition.

Central African Republic government troops, backed by French forces, have launched an offensive against rebels who had captured several north-eastern towns, the government and the French military said on Tuesday. The government in Bangui said its troops had retaken one town, Birao, which had been in rebel hands since October 30.

A court in the Central African Republic sent a rebel leader accused of plotting to assassinate President Francois Bozize to prison for life on Friday for endangering state security. Jean-Noel Bangue was also found guilty of complicity, rebellion, assassination, looting, theft, grievous bodily harm and several other charges.

Deadly clashes broke out between the Central African Republic (CAR) army and rebels who crossed into the country from neighbouring Chad, the CAR Defence Ministry said on Tuesday. ”Heavily armed” Chadian rebels attacked forces of the CAR and the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa near Gordil in the north-east of the country, the ministry said.

The head of a labour union confronting the Central African Republic government over its failure to pay its public servants was arrested on Monday over allegations he received ”unwarranted payments”, union officials said. The Central African Republic government, in serious financial straits, is unable to pay its 20 000 public servants.