Chadian troops recover 1,300 firearms in Bangui

The 100 Chadian troops who arrived in the Central African Republic (CAR) on Wednesday have recovered 1,300 firearms and 270 vehicles in a disarmament campaign. The Chadian ambassador, Maitile Djoumbe, handed over the recovered weapons on Monday to the CAR chief of staff, Antoine Gambi, the spokesman of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central African States (CEMAC) force, Augustin Bibaye, told IRIN on Tuesday. Bibaye said the Chadian troops recovered the firearms, of all kinds, when they disarmed former rebel supporters of the coup leader, Francois Bozize, and youths in the capital, Bangui, who had armed themselves with stolen weapons after the 15 March coup. According to Bibaye, some of the vehicles recovered are in good condition while others are damaged. After the coup in which former President Ange-Felix Patasse was ousted, youths armed with firearms stolen from the presidential residence, took advantage of the confusion to loot goods and vehicles. Apart from the youths, Bozize has also pointed at private militias, which, he said, had been armed and sponsored by the former ruling party, the Mouvement de liberation du peuple centrafricain (MLPC), as being responsible for the insecurity in Bangui. Bozize, who has declared himself president, said insecurity in Bangui had forced him to call on the Chadian troops and the CEMAC force to restore calm. In addition to the disarmament campaign, door-to-door searches were carried out throughout Bangui's suburbs, enabling the Chadian soldiers and the CEMAC peacekeepers to recover looted goods. Bozize has set up a commission, headed by the police director, to take charge of collection and the return of stolen property to the owners. The disarmament has reassured many Bangui residents, who resumed their normal businesses on Monday. Meanwhile, the official status of the 300 Chadian soldiers in the CAR remained unclear, as the CEMAC summit held on Friday in the Republic of Congo capital, Brazzaville, postponed their integration into the force until the next summit. Bozize's spokesman, Parfait Mbaye, told IRIN on Sunday that the Chadian soldiers would join the CEMAC force when its mandate and budget were revised.