Bozize appoints provincial military commanders

In efforts to improve security across the Central African Republic (CAR), new CAR leader Francois Bozize on Tuesday appointed commanders for the seven military regions in the country, government-run Radio Centrafrique reported. The military appointments follow those of governors for the 16 CAR provinces in April. However, several of the provincial governors, especially those posted to the north of the country, which was affected by six months of fighting between government and rebel troops from October 2002 to March 2003, have yet to report to their stations. Tuesday's appointments were made following reports, mainly from humanitarian workers, that armed robbers had been roaming most of the CAR countryside since 15 March when Bozize ousted the then president Ange-Felix Patasse in a coup. According to recent humanitarian missions to the north of the CAR, no military or administrative officials have reported to their stations to date, and this has discouraged thousands of people who were displaced by the fighting from returning home. In Tuesday's appointments, Bozize, who is also the defence minister, retained Antoine Gambi as the CAR army chief of staff. Since taking power, Bozize has dissolved a battalion that was responsible for Patasse's protection, and created an amphibious battalion and other units. He has also reinstated in the army and appointed to key positions former army officers who had been sentenced in absentia in August 2002 in connection with the 28 May 2002 coup attempt by former president Andre Kolingba. Bozize has also granted amnesty to all those who had been convicted in relation to the coup attempt. Meanwhile, one of the leaders of the 1996-7 mutinies against Patasse, Cyriaque Soucket, has returned to the CAR and declared his support for Bozize. Speaking on Radio Centrafrique on Tuesday, Soucket urged all CAR people "to support the transitional process" instituted by Bozize. Soucket led the first mutiny in 1996, three years after Patasse's democratic election. The mutiny ended after an accord with the government. Soucket then went into exile until his return on 1 May.