Floods caused by days of heavy rain have caused the collapse of about 3 000 houses and left up to 20 000 people homeless in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, a local Red Cross official told state radio on Thursday. Some of the homeless have been taken in by relatives.
Incumbent president Francois Bozize is set to defeat challenger Martin Ziguele when about 1,5-million people in the Central African Republic vote in the final round of presidential elections on Sunday, but the outcome of simultaneous legislative polls seem less clear.
No image available
/ 22 December 2004
The corruption trial of former Central African president Ange Felix Patasse was postponed indefintely on Wednesday at the request of prosecutors. Patasse, in exile in Togo, is charged along with four co-defendants — all of them close aides during his presidency — with stealing 70-billion CFA francs (about R803-million) in public funds.
No image available
/ 2 September 2004
President Francois Bozize of the Central African Republic on Thursday issued a decree dismissing the government of Prime Minister Celestin-Leroy Gaombalet, state radio said. The radio gave no further details and did not say who will be appointed as the country’s new prime minister.
The northern part of the Central African Republic capital, Bangui, was cordoned off by security forces on Friday after heavy and automatic weapons fire was heard there late in the evening. Former fighters who helped bring President Francois Bozize to power have been blamed for Thursday’s unrest.
Heavy and light weapons fire was heard late on Thursday in Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, where troops last week fought with former rebels who had helped put President Francois Bozize in power. One witness who lives in the north of the city said several sporadic shots from light weapons were heard around 7.00pm.
The army in Central African Republic has freed two men, including the former security chief to President Francois Bozize, who were arrested three months ago on suspicion of plotting a coup, a lawyer said on Friday. The president’s former aide and his brother were picked up in December and accused of plotting against the government.
South African envoys began holding talks with Jean-Bertrand Aristide in the Central African Republic on Wednesday after Pretoria said it is open to granting exile to the ousted Haitian leader. The delegation, led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aziz Pahad, first met with Central African Republic President Francois Bozize.
Exiled Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide issued a statement on Sunday saying he was ”well looked after” by his hosts and would personally address reporters at an unspecified ”opportune time”. When reporters asked Mildred Aristide if her husband was healthy, she nodded. Asked if the couple were prisoners, she sighed.
The Cabinet in the Central African Republic (CAR) went into talks on Friday, reportedly to discuss what to do with their difficult guest, ousted Haitian leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide, and took steps to keep him quiet. All journalists with questions relating to Aristide must now first address themselves to the CAR authorities.
<li><a class=’standardtextsmall’ href="http://www.mg.co.za/Content/pd.asp?ao=32289">US not looking for home for Aristide</a>
The South African government said on Monday it was still not aware of any plan for ousted Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide to seek asylum. ”We are not aware that President Aristide is making his way to South Africa,” said foreign affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa.
US goes in as Aristide flees Haiti
No image available
/ 11 December 2003
Interim Prime Minister Abel Goumba of the Central African Republic was sacked on Thursday, government spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Parfait M’Baye announced on state radio. General Francois Bozize named Goumba, a veteran opposition leader, prime minister a week after seizing power in a coup in March.
The United Nations (UN) in the Central African Republic (CAR) appealed to donors on Wednesday for ,1-million to help two-thirds of the country’s 3,7 million people directly affected by war.
The former president of the Central African Republic, Andre Kolingba, is ready to go home from exile in Uganda, an official of his political party said on Monday.
This central African nation’s rebel-leader turned self-proclaimed president named his prime minister on Sunday, charging the longtime opposition leader with assembling a new government in the coming days.
Former Central African Republic army chief Francois Bozize, whose backers seized control of the country at the weekend, has announced tough measures against looters, while reassuring his compatriots that the latest coup was only a temporary break with democracy.
Central African Republic under rebel president
No image available
/ 25 February 2003
At least 300 women were treated for sexual attacks after recent fighting in this rebellion-split Central African nation, a French medical aid group said on Monday.
At least 22 people died on Thursday when a Boeing 707 cargo plane carrying 25 people crashed and broke up close by a working class district of Bangui.
Oil is the real cause of the current tension between Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR), which accuses its neighbour of backing last month’s coup attempt, a CAR official said on Tuesday.
Former Central African Republic (CAR) leader, General Andre Kolingba, and about 20 army officers were sentenced to death in absentia on Monday following a failed coup attempt in May last year.