Non-payment of civil servants "a violation of human rights", NGO says

A human rights organisation in the Central African Republic has expressed concern over a declaration on Wednesday by Finance Minister Mohamed Mahdi Marboua that the government was broke and could no longer pay monthly salaries on time. "The non-payment of civil servants’ salaries is a violation of human rights," Lambert Zokoezo, chairman of the Observatoire Centrafricain des Droits de l’Homme, said. He described Marboua’s declaration, which was broadcast by state-owned Television Centrafricaine, as "a provocation of the population that would lead to dramatic consequences". Since early 1990s, the CAR has been having difficulties paying its civil servants, a situation that has prompted strikes by employees. The government owes civil servants salary arrears of at least 30 months. The administration of CAR leader Francois Bozize, who ousted Ange-Felix Patasse on 15 March 2003, has said salary arrears would be paid "later". The Bozize administration paid civil servants their monthly salaries from April until September 2003. Labour unions declared in May 2003 a moratorium on strikes, to give the new administration time to stabilise its finances. Radio Centrafrique reported on Saturday that after Marboua's declaration, representatives of the civil servants had met on Friday with the directors of three local banks and reached an arrangement for the payment of salaries this week. Reacting to Marboua’s declaration, Bangui Roman Catholic Archbishop Paulin Pomodimo urged Bozize to "find a rapid settlement to the salary issue". "There may never be social peace if civil servants keep waiting indefinitely for their salaries," Radio Centrafrique quoted Pomodimo as saying on Saturday.