Patasse begins second term

In a message marking the investiture of President Ange-Felix Patasse to another six-year term on Friday, Annan said the UN “will not abandon the CAR”. He said the UN remained committed to assisting the country during the post-conflict peace-building phase, in close cooperation with the Bretton Woods institutions. The main challenges facing the country, he said, included the demobilisation and reintegration of soldiers and the restoration of foreign investor confidence. The international community had provided “a unique opportunity for the Central African Republic to achieve much-needed reform”, Annan said, adding that the time had come for the UN to gradually hand over its responsibilities to the CAR authorities.