Central Africa set to talk with rebels

Negotiations expected this week

— Talks between Central African Republic’s government and the rebels who now control much of the country’s north are set to get under way no later than Friday, the president of Republic of Congo has announced.

Delegations were expected to travel to Gabon in time to begin talks today, though a plane carrying the government delegation along with members of the country’s political opposition failed to leave Bangui, the capital, as scheduled Monday evening.

President Denis Sassou N’Guesso of Republic of Congo met Monday with the embattled leader of Central African Republic, Francois Bozize, and declined to comment on reports that the rebels are still seeking his ouster as a condition of the talks.

“In our capacity as mediator, we can’t interpret the declarations of others,” he said. “The fact that we hold to is that all the parties have agreed that we are going to negotiations.”

The rebel delegation, meanwhile, arrived Monday in Gabon as a spokesman in Paris claimed the fighters could still take the government-fortified city of Damara or Bangui but were holding back out of concern for the 700,000 people who live there.

“If we wanted to take Damara, it would already be done. We have the means to take Damara and also to take Bangui today, but we don’t want the capital to suffer attacks,” said rebel spokesman Eric Massi.

The meetings were set to begin today, with high-level discussions due to take place later in the week. But the president of Republic of Congo said late Monday that talks will begin no later than Friday, and he urged the rebels to hold their positions at the demarcation line already established.

The passengers on the government delegation’s flight were told it was canceled because of a “technical problem” and would fly to Gabon early today, said Abdoulaye Issene. Issene is president of the CPJP, a rebel group that signed a peace agreement with the government, and he says he is not part of the alliance behind the recent offensive.

This week’s scheduled meetings between rebels, the government and the country’s political opposition in Libreville, Gabon, come a month after fighters from several armed groups began their rebellion against a government that has wielded little power over its vast and sparsely populated north.

While the rebels - who comprise four groups and call themselves Seleka, which means “alliance” in the local Sango language - have halted their advance toward Bangui, they now hold a dozen cities and towns. The rebellion poses the greatest threat to Bozize’s presidency since he himself seized power in 2003.

Bozize already has offered the possibility of a coalition government, a proposal the rebels have dismissed. A rebel spokesman has said the fighters want Bozize gone, a stipulation that could derail talks altogether.

The government’s chief mediator, Willibiro Sako, said the objective of the talks is “to try to look into the problems of our country and find solutions for the peace, security and development of Central African Republic.”

“We have to start to enter into dialogue even if at times there were some who did not agree with each other,” he said on Monday.

In this nation of 4.4 million, many have little faith the government will be able to reach a lasting agreement with the rebels, especially because multiple peace accords already have been signed over the years with several different groups.

While the rebels had vowed to halt their advance pending the negotiations, residents said two towns were seized over the weekend. Massi, the Paris-based spokesman, accused Bozize of planning to use those towns as jumping-off points to spy on Seleka forces.

“We were simply securing our position in taking these two towns and preventing these acts of espionage,” said Massi, who identifies himself as Seleka’s spokesman, though others within Central African Republic also say they speak for the alliance.

Residents in the capital have been reassured by the presence of regional troops from Gabon, Cameroon, Republic of Congo and Chad to help stabilize the country. South Africa also has said it is sending 400 soldiers to help support national forces here.

Information for this article was contributed by Louis Okamba, Sarah DiLorenzo, Hippolyte Marboua and Yves Laurent Goma of The Associated Press.

Front Section, Pages 6 on 01/08/2013

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