U.S. Diplomats Leave Central African Republic's Capital as Rebels Advance

Demonstration against anti-government rebels in the Central African Republic capital of Bangui on December 27, 2012. President Bozize has asked France to assist in halting the rebel advance, but to no avail., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

U.S. diplomats leave Central African Republic’s capital as rebels advance

HIPPOLYTE MARBOUA and KRISTA LARSON
BANGUI — The Associated Press
Friday, Dec. 28 2012, 9:15 PM EST

Renewed fighting between government forces and rebels seeking to overthrow the president broke out Friday in Central African Republic’s third largest city, a military official said, hours after the U.S. ambassador and his team were evacuated from the capital.

Government soldiers appeared to be in control of Bambari after the clashes, according to military officials. The town is located about 385 kilometres from the capital and had been under rebel control for five days.

The United States evacuated about 40 people, including the U.S. ambassador, on a U.S. Air Force plane bound for Kenya, said U.S. officials, who insisted on anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the operation. The United States has special forces in the country who are assisting in the hunt for Joseph Kony, the fugitive leader of another rebel group known as the Lord’s Resistance Army. The U.S. special forces remain in the country, the U.S. military’s Africa Command said from its headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.

The evacuation of the U.S. diplomats came in the wake of criticism of how the U.S. handled diplomatic security before and during the attack on its consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11. The ambassador and three other Americans were killed in that attack.

France’s diplomats are staying despite a violent demonstration outside its embassy earlier this week. Dozens of protesters, angry about a lack of help against rebel forces, threw rocks at the French embassy in Bangui and stole a French flag. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius spoke via phone with President François Bozize, asking him to take responsibility for the safety of French nationals and diplomatic missions in Central African Republic.

Mr. Bozize on Thursday urgently called on former colonial ruler France and other foreign powers to help his government fend off rebels, who are quickly seizing territory and approaching the capital. But French President François Hollande said France wants to protect its interests in Central African Republic and not Mr. Bozize’s government.

This landlocked nation of 4.4 million people has suffered decades of army revolts, coups and rebellions since gaining independence in 1960 and remains one of the poorest countries in the world. The current President himself came to power nearly a decade ago in the wake of a rebellion.

Speaking to crowds in Bangui, a city of 600,000, Mr. Bozize pleaded with foreign powers to do what they could. He pointed in particular to France. About 200 French soldiers are already in the country, providing technical support and helping to train the local army, according to the French Defence Ministry.

“France has the means to stop [the rebels] but unfortunately they have done nothing for us until now,” Mr. Bozize said.

The rebels behind the most recent instability signed a 2007 peace accord allowing them to join the regular army, but insurgent leaders say the deal wasn’t fully implemented. The rebel forces have seized at least 10 towns across the sparsely populated north of the country, and residents in the capital now fear the insurgents could attack at any time, despite assurances by rebel leaders that they are willing to engage in dialogue instead of attacking Bangui.

The rebels have claimed that their actions are justified in light of the “thirst for justice, for peace, for security and for economic development of the people of Central African Republic.”

Despite CAR’s wealth of gold, diamonds, timber and uranium, the government remains perpetually cash-strapped.

The United Nations’ most powerful body condemned the recent violence and expressed concern about the developments.

“The members of the Security Council reiterate their demand that the armed groups immediately cease hostilities, withdraw from captured cities and cease any further advance toward the city of Bangui,” the statement said.