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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: President guarantees ex-ruler's security

BANGUI, 6 May 2003 (IRIN) - Central African Republic leader Francois Bozize said on Monday that security would be provided for the return of former President Andre Kolingba, now in exile in Uganda.

Bozize was speaking on state owned Radio Centrafrique and Radio France Internationale during an official visit to Chad for talks with President Idriss Deby on Kolinga's return.

"I think that his [Deby's] contribution will be necessary for the return of the former head of state," Bozize said.

Bozize's visit coincided with that of Kolingba's. The vice-chairman of Kolingba's Rassemblement democratique centrafricain party, Louis Pierre Gamba, told IRIN on Sunday that Kolingba visited Chad to seek support for political and security guarantees to return home. Bozize has granted an amnesty to all convicts of the 28 May 2001 coup attempt against President Ange-Felix Patasse.

"The amnesty that was declared has restrictions, especially when they say that cases would be examined individually," Gamba said.

In August 2002, a court sentenced Kolingba, his two sons and another 20 people, mostly from his Yakoma ethnic group, to death in absentia for spearheading the attempt.

Since seizing power, Bozize has redoubled his efforts at reconciling the nation. These measures include the participation of all stakeholders in the transitional government and amnesty for the May 2001 coup plotters.

However, this amnesty excluded offences against state property and public treasury, and did not mean that exiles would be automatically reinstated to their former jobs. Bozize and his justice minister will review each of these cases.

Bozize's Chad visit came against the backdrop of Ndjamena's alleged ties to this former army chief of staff when he led the rebellion that finally ousted Patasse on 15 March.

Since then, Chad has played a pivotal role in restoring peace to the CAR capital, Bangui, by disarming people unauthorised to carry weapons.

Currently, there are about 300 Chadian soldiers in Bangui. Some of them are to be integrated into the peacekeeping force of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central African States.

Themes: (IRIN) Conflict, (IRIN) Governance

[ENDS]

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