Women lobby for peace

At least 2,000 women demonstrated on Monday in Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), in an appeal for peace in the country. "Our objective is to alert the nation and the international community to the new wave of troubles looming ahead," said Georgette Debale, a university lecturer and one of the event's organisers. The demonstration was held in the wake of increased armed banditry and rebellion in the northwest of the country, close to the border with Chad. According to the demonstrators, three rebel groups are now active in the region. The demonstration ended at the presidential palace, where the women - including civil servants, members of women's associations and those from religious organisations - handed over a memorandum to President Francois Bozize. "In the memorandum, we clearly asked the authorities and the rebels to meet and negotiate for peace. They should know that peace has no price," Debale said. The CAR is emerging from more than a decade of civil war, and the women's demonstration reflects the public's concern that insecurity in the northwest could plunge the country into chaos once again. Rebel fighters have emerged in the region since September 2005, creating serious humanitarian problems, as fighting between the national army and armed groups has displaced thousands of civilians. Tens of thousands of people have sought refuge in Chad due to the violence and growing insecurity at home, according to United Nations agencies in Bangui. In an interview last week, Jean-Charles Dei, the UN World Food Programme representative in CAR, said the food situation in the northwest was difficult. "There are 10,000 civilians scattered in the bush, fearing reprisals from the army […] surviving on wild herbs and roots," Dei had said.