HDPT Central African Republic

On Friday May 9th, the Central African Republic Government and the Popular Army for Unity and Democracy (APRD) signed a much awaited cease fire and peace agreement in Libreville, Gabon. In presence of Gabon’s President Bongo Ondimba, and the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations, François Lonseny Fall, both parties agreeded to an immediate cessation of hostilities.

Jean-Jacques Demafouth, recently appointed political head of the APRD, declared that the Government had committed to granting a general amnesty and “an end to all legal prosecutions currently in progress” against APRD rebels. Instead, they will stay in camps “pending their disarmament, demobilisation or integration into the army.” The fate of exiled former President Ange-Felix Patassé himself remains unclear. Regarded as the driving force behind the APRD by the Government of the Central African Republic, he was sentenced in 2006 to 20 years’ hard labour for his part in the rebel movement.

The signature of this peace agreements constitutes a key step in the preparation of the inclusive political dialogue (IPD) set up to start by July 2008. After sending positive signals by participating in the Preparatory Committee for the IPD, the recent upsurge in fighting between the rebellion and the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) had shed concerns on the possibility to organize such dialogue.

According to Cyriaque Gonda, Central African Minister for Communication, a general peace agreement should be signed in the coming weeks to incorporate the individual peace agreements signed last year with the other two main rebellions: the Union of Democratic Forces for Unification (UFDR) and the Central African People Democratic Front (FDPC).