CAR minister reassures Chadians following clashes

The interior minister of the Central African Republic (CAR), Joseph Mounzole, has issued a message of reassurance to Chadians living on CAR territory following clashes along the common border on Tuesday.

Speaking on Television Centrafricaine on Wednesday, he guaranteed Chadians their security, and invited them to continue their social and economic activities which, he said, contributed to the development of his country. He also called on the CAR people to live in harmony with their Chadian neighbours, saying that the governments of the two countries were engaged in seeking a peaceful solution to the violence that had occurred earlier in the week.

CAR is sending a delegation to Chad on Friday to meet the prisoners and identify them, as well as assess the security situation along the border.

Mounzole's announcement followed Tuesday's bloody clashes in which two Chadians and 20 CAR nationals were reportedly killed, Radio France Internationale (RFI), noting that casualty figures had only been provided by the Chadian authorities. Chad had also claimed to have captured 13 "mercenaries", RFI reported.

The two countries are reportedly blaming each other for the incident. CAR officials had accused the Chadians conducting an incursion 15 km into CAR territory, while Chad had accused "unidentified mercenaries" of attacking its soldiers in the border locality of Sido, Agence France Presse reported.

The day after the clashes, CAR Foreign Minister Agba Otikpo Mezode held talks with the Chadian ambassador to the CAR, Radio Centrafrique reported. Afterwards, the ambassador had commented that things had "returned back to normal as calm is prevailing in the area". He added, "In the coming days, prisoners captured from these mercenaries will be able to shed light on the matter".

Relations between CAR and Chad have been rocky ever since the former CAR army chief of staff, Francois Bozize, fled to the southern Chadian town of Sarh in November 2001 with some 300 supporters after army troops tried to apprehend him on the orders of a judicial commission probing a failed coup. He denied involvement in the 28 May 2001 coup attempt.

A Chadian official said at the time that Bozize had been granted refuge out of "humanitarian concern". Tension rose between two countries as CAR government forces pursued those loyal to Bozize along the border between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Chad has also accused CAR of assisting Abdoulaye Miskine, former deputy of the late rebel leader, Laokin Barde. Chadian President Idriss Deby cancelled a visit to CAR on 10 June, after accusing Miskine of killing five Chadian nationals, RFI reported.

In a related development, a meeting due to take place between the governments of Chad, CAR and Sudan about security issues along their common borders had been postponed, RFI added. The representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in CAR, Lamine Cisse, was quoted as saying that both the CAR and Chadian presidents were still willing to hold the meeting "to reduce tension", and that attempts were being made to find a suitable date.