UN withdraws nonessential staff

The UN system in the Central African Republic has withdrawn its nonessential personnel following last week's coup that brought Francois Bozize to power, a UN official has said. "We have withdrawn 10 UN consultants who were working with the government," Stan Nkwain, the UN Development Programme resident representative, said on Wednesday. The consultants included those of the World Bank, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation and the United Nations Children's Fund. He said they could return when the situation stabilised. The UN offices and homes of some UN staff had been completely looted, and some staff members had been beaten, Nkwain said. The looting has prompted France to evacuate 300 of its nationals and those of other countries to Libreville, Gabon.