BANGUI: Central African President Michel Djotodia yesterday urged Muslim fighters backing him and the Christian vigilantes they oppose to lay down their arms, the day after 30 more people were killed in continuing violence.
The predominantly Christian country’s first Muslim president — who holds the post on an interim basis after seizing power in a March coup — also renewed an offer of talks with the Christian “anti-balaka” vigilantes.
“I reiterate my entire availabilty to discuss with all those who have taken up arms, rightly or wrongly, so that we will finally all be disarmed without exception,” he told a news conference.
“A physical disarmament but also and especially a disarmament of the heart, for the survival of our nation depends on it,” said Djotodia, who headed the Seleka rebel coalition.
In just two days early this month nearly 1,000 people were killed in Bangui when ex-Seleka rebels backing Djotodia went on a rampage to avenge deadly Christian militia attacks, Amnesty International has said.
Djotodia already offered dialogue with the militia in mid-December.
Also yesterday, Chadian President Idriss Deby appealed to the militia not to target Chadian troops in the country as part of an African Union peacekeeping force.
“The Chadian units... are wrongly singled out by the anti-balaka (who) consider the Chadian soldiers to be Muslims who have come to back the Muslims,” Deby told a news conference in the Chadian capital Ndjamena.
“Chad’s contribution is essential to the restoration of peace in the CAR,” he added.
AFP
