1. Home
  2. Africa
  3. Central African Republic

Rebel general, overpowered, flees

Claiming he was prolonging negotiations in order to launch a coup, forces loyal to the government of the Central African Republic (CAR) stormed the barracks where former army chief Gen. Francois Bozize and his supporters had been based, forcing them to flee northward from the capital, Bangui. "Reports from reliable sources speak of the preparation of a coup d'etat with external support and complicity," Prosper Ndouba, the presidential spokesman, told Radio France Internationale on Wednesday. He said that the military camp in the north of the city to which Bozize and his forces had withdrawn had been recaptured by forces loyal to President Ange-Felix Patasse. Ndouba called on Bozize "to present himself to the legal authorities", adding that "the president of the republic is committed to ensuring his security". Government forces have been backed by some 180 Libyan soldiers, 100 of whom had remained in Bangui following their intervention to protect Patasse in the wake of a failed coup in May. Tripoli sent another 80 reinforcements on Monday. Before the government offensive, efforts to mediate a peaceful resolution had been led by the UN Representative of the Secretary-General to the CAR, Lamine Cisse. Diplomats from neighbouring central African countries and the Organisation of African Unity had also been sent to help resolve the crisis. Hostilities erupted Saturday when government forces tried to arrest Bozize on behalf of a judicial commission probing this year's coup attempt of 28 May. Bozize refused, claiming he had not been given sufficient safety guarantees. He was dismissed as army chief of staff on 26 Oct. after being accused of Involvement in a coup plot and after weapons were found in three homes in the capital. However, he has denied involvement, saying he backed CAR President Ange-Felix Patasse during army mutinies in 1996 and 1997. Soldiers allied to Bozize came to his defence, and five days of intermittent fighting in the northern region of the capital ensued. Officials have not released details on casualties. Patasse has survived army mutinies in 1996-97 as well as the May coup bid, blamed on his predecessor, Andre Kolingba, a general who lost the presidential election in 1993. Kolingba's whereabouts remain unknown after his troops were overpowered and forced to flee Bangui in June.

This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

Share this article

Get the day’s top headlines in your inbox every morning

Starting at just $5 a month, you can become a member of The New Humanitarian and receive our premium newsletter, DAWNS Digest.

DAWNS Digest has been the trusted essential morning read for global aid and foreign policy professionals for more than 10 years.

Government, media, global governance organisations, NGOs, academics, and more subscribe to DAWNS to receive the day’s top global headlines of news and analysis in their inboxes every weekday morning.

It’s the perfect way to start your day.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian today and you’ll automatically be subscribed to DAWNS Digest – free of charge.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian

Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

Join