I have been in touch with Bangui throughout the day. The
rebels are again on the move and very close to the capital. There have been
some very serious exchanges of fire between them and the South African
soldiers, who are in the country to provide assistance to regular army of
President Bozizé.
The Central African Republic (CAR) is once more in turmoil.
The countries of the region have tried to assist, through the deployment of interposition
forces, but with no real success. The South African presence is a bit of an
oddity. They have been in and out of CAR in the last few years, to support the
regime. As such, they cannot act as bridge between the parties in conflict. The
French have troops on the ground. However, their mission is limited to protecting
their citizens and the embassy premises.
The UN has also a political office in the country. For the
time being, I have decided, as a former senior UN staff, not to comment on UN
affairs. Not even today, when the situation in CAR seems to turn again towards
a new level of civil war.
What’s next?
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