Striking taxi drivers resume work

Taxi drivers in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), reappeared in the streets on Tuesday after a one-day strike, which paralysed services in the city. Most workers did not get to work on time on Monday when the drivers went on strike to protest what they termed the "excesses" of armed Chadian men. The Chadians have been in the country since the ouster of President Ange-Felix Patasse on 15 March. They resumed taxi services on Tuesday following a meeting of their union, the Syndicat de Chauffeurs de Taxis et Bus. One of the drivers, who requested anonymity, told IRIN that the so-called Chadian "liberators" had killed a taxi driver three weeks ago. He said a group of the armed men had deliberately banged his vehicle. So far, the government has not made any statement regarding the drivers' claims. At the same time, an association for defence lawyers in the country, the Barreau de Centrafrique, also denounced the excesses perpetrated by the Chadians. Association chairman Martin Kongbeto said on Saturday that since March, "citizens in Bangui and the provinces continue to suffer daily excesses, humiliation and looting by certain uncontrolled Chadian and CAR soldiers". Kongbeto recounted an incident involving three lawyers, whom he said were recently "publicly humiliated" by the Chadians in Bangui. However, he did not indicate whether the Chadians in question were soldiers or "mercenaries" who participated in the October 2002-March 2003 war between fighters loyal to the current CAR leader, Francois Bozize, and government forces of former President Ange-Felix Patasse. After Bozize's coup, Chad sent 400 soldiers to Bangui, to secure the capital, recover stolen or looted property and to recover firearms held illegally. About 120 of the Chadian soldiers are scheduled to join the peacekeeping force of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central African States. Kongbeto urged Bozize to act by replacing the Chadian soldiers in police and gendarmerie stations in Bangui with CAR policemen and gendarmes, and to entrust the maintenance of order to the country's security forces. The lawyers' action marks the first official protest against the Chadians, who have been in the country since Bozize seized power from Patasse. Local newspapers have reported repeated cases of armed robbery, assassination and kidnapping, allegedly by the so-called Chadian "liberators".