Soldier wounds four as crowd hails first lady

Four people were wounded by gunfire on Thursday when a soldier "inadvertently" shot into a crowd hailing Monique Bozize, the wife of Central African Republic (CAR) leader Francois Bozize, in a suburb of the capital, Bangui, state-owned Television Centrafricaine reported. According to a statement signed by Communications Minister Parfait Mbay, a presidential guard inadvertently fired into people gathered to see the first lady who was visiting a maternity hospital in Boy Rabe suburb. "It is in no case an attack against Mrs Bozize," Mbay said, adding that the soldier had been arrested and an investigation begun. A witness in Boy Rabe told IRIN one of the injured "would not survive as a bullet hit him in the head". The incident took place hours after Bozize said in an address to the nation that 2004 would be a year of "security rebirth". He said 2004 would be decisive for the future of the CAR, especially for the transitional process that is meant to lead to democratic rule in early 2005.