UN: Seized CAR town under peacekeepers' control

The UN has said that the Central African Republic's (CAR) fourth-largest town, which was seized by rebels ahead of elections, is back in the hands of its peacekeepers and national security forces. 

"The situation in Bambari is under control," Abdoulaziz Fall, spokesman for the UN's peacekeeping force in the CAR, told a news conference in the capital Bangui on Wednesday.

"The civilians are starting to return. The armed groups have been pushed back into the bush."

The rebel attacks followed government accusations at the weekend that ex-president Francois Bozize was plotting a coup with armed groups ahead of presidential and legislative elections next Sunday.

At the CAR's request, Russia and Rwanda have sent "hundreds" of military personnel to support the troubled country, the government says, an account confirmed by those countries.

Bambari is located 380 kilometres northeast of Bangui.

Panic gripped the streets of Bangui earlier on Wednesday with businesses closing and people sheltering in their homes as the country prepared for the election, which has stoked the embers of violence.

READ MORE: Russia and Rwanda send hundreds of troops to Central African Republic

France flies jets 

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by telephone on Wednesday with CAR counterpart Faustin-Archange Touadera and afterwards, at the latter's behest, ordered French fighter jets to overfly the country to "show France's condemnation of attempts at destabilisation", the Elysee Palace said.

The overfly by three Chad-based French planes was with the agreement of the UN peacekeeping mission.

Macron's office said he condemned "attempts by armed groups and certain political leaders, including Francois Bozize, which seek to obstruct the implementation of peace accords and the holding of elections".

Macron underlined "France's unwavering commitment alongside CAR authorities and the people of CAR to contribute to efforts to stabilise the country", where France currently has a 300-strong troop contingent, backing up the 11,500-strong UN mission MINUSCA.

Members of a militia called Unity for Peace in Central Africa (UPC) overran the town on Tuesday after a two-hour firefight with MINUSCA troops, sources said.

READ MORE: The Central African Republic is a hub for French and Russian disinformation

Elusive peace 

The town mayor said on Tuesday that civilians had not been attacked, but the police station, gendarmerie and some homes had been ransacked.

The UN's Human Rights Office warned on Wednesday it was "deeply alarmed" by reports of escalating violence, which it said posed a grave threat to lives and the elections.

The CAR is one of the poorest and most unstable countries in the world, experiencing only rare moments of peace since independence from France in 1960.

'Some panic'

On Saturday, the government said three armed groups had formed an alliance and were advancing on highways to Bangui in a plot fomented by Bozize. MINUSCA said late on Sunday that the advance had been halted or rolled back.

But on Tuesday armed groups attacked the road arteries, notably at Boali, a town 60 kilometres from the capital, prompting an exodus by women and children, sources there said.

Several pickup trucks arrived in Bangui later, laden with wounded, AFP reporters saw.

"There was some panic among the public (in Bangui) this morning," General Driss Oukaddour, commander of MINUSCA'S Bangui Joint Task Force, told AFP on Wednesday.

But, he insisted, "Bangui is calm, we are in charge of the situation."

Food supplies to the capital depend on the RN1 highway linking the city to Cameroon, and security on the road swiftly affects prices of staples such as manioc.

Weak government

Bozize, who denies the government's allegations, came to power in a coup in 2003 before he himself was overthrown in 2013, in a conflict that largely mirrored the CAR's sectarian divisions.

The 74-year-old former general slipped back into the country in December 2019 after years in exile, sparking fears of a comeback.

He retains a large following, especially among the Gbaya ethnic group, the country's largest, and has many supporters in the army.

Bozize has been barred from contesting Sunday's elections by the CAR's top court as he is the target of a 2014 arrest warrant for alleged murder and torture and is under UN sanctions.

His absence has left Touadera, 63, a clear frontrunner in the 17-strong field of presidential candidates.

But Touadera's government remains weak and the armed forces are poorly equipped and -trained and remain heavily dependent on MINUSCA.

READ MORE: UN peacekeepers deployed to CAR to protect election from militia groups

Hopeless situation 

Despite a peace deal between the government and armed groups in February 2019, the country remains wracked by violence.

Militias hold sway over two-thirds of the territory, deriving income from mining and forced payments at roadblocks and on traders.

Thousands of people have died in the last seven years, and nearly a quarter of the population of 4.7 million have fled their homes.

Genevieve, a shop worker in Bangui, said, "I am worried for our country because rebels are coming, we're afraid for our children."

A security guard who gave his name as Mathias, said the situation was hopeless in a country where "only bandits" get by.

READ MORE: Clashes in Central African Republic leave at least 37 dead – UN