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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Monday 31 October 2005

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: CEMAC troops deployed to mining town of Bria

BANGUI, 31 Oct 2005 (IRIN) - Troops of the Economic Community of Central Africa States (CEMAC) were deployed on Saturday to the Central African Republic's northeastern town of Bria to help combat banditry, which has increased sharply across the country's provinces, according to a CEMAC official.

"The CEMAC troops deployed in Bria will be fully operational by Monday," Gen Auguste Bibaye, head of the multinational force, said on national radio in the capital, Bangui.

The soldiers, whose exact number could not be immediately established, left Bangui on Friday in a convoy. A senior national army official from the Central African Republic (CAR), who requested not to be named, said that about 100 CEMAC troops had been deployed.

Bibaye said Saturday's deployment was in accordance with the force's new mandate decreed by CEMAC leaders in June at a meeting in Malabo, capital of the Spanish-speaking Equatorial Guinea. The force's mandate was extended by six months during this meeting.

"Our new mandate covers security in both Bangui and the provinces," Bibaye said.

He added that positive results had been achieved since CEMAC forces got involved in efforts to restore peace and security in the country.

Bria is located in a mining zone of the province of Haute-Kotto. Several armed groups have emerged in the area, terrorising civilians. In September, bandits attacked several villages in the region and harassed businessmen involved in diamond prospecting.

CAR military officials in Bangui say that although these armed groups are well-equipped, they are disorganised. So far no group or individual has claimed responsibility for any of the armed attacks that have occurred, mostly in the north of the country.

On Sunday, Benoit Kombo, a diamond prospector in Bria, said, "These armed bandits are equipped with rocket launchers, AK-47s, grenades and other sophisticated weapons that I have never seen before."

He claimed the armed groups also have satellite telephone communication.

The proliferation of armed groups is linked to the large quantity of weapons in circulation in the country. Following the repeated military uprisings as well as several coup attempts since 1996, different factions distributed a significant amount of guns to civilians. Both the government and mutinying soldiers were accused of distributing weapons during such times; and officials say that more than 100,000 guns are still illegally circulating in the country.

Kombo said the government had been slow to take action against the outlaws.

As a result of the activities of these armed groups in the north, thousands of civilians have fled their homes and sought refuge in neighbouring Chad.

Bibaye said CEMAC troops were first deployed out of Bangui on 19 August, when 80 soldiers were sent to Bozoum, northwest of the capital, to help the national army to restore security. Their mission was "to secure the CAR as highway robbers are fostering insecurity up country."

Bozoum businessman Heny Layda said the situation seemed to have improved.

"Security is returning," he said. "It is just the beginning of the process but it would be great to have CEMAC troops in the area for four more months to curb armed banditry in the region during the dry season."

Leaders of six central African states established the multinational force, CEMAC, in 2000 to replace the UN Mission to the CAR, known as MINURCA, which had been in the country since 1997. The CEMAC troops were deployed to restore peace following military and political unrest at that time.

Presently, CEMAC comprises troops from Chad, Gabon and the Congo. The force was to have included members of all CEMAC countries, but Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea declined to participate. CAR is the sixth CEMAC member.

[ENDS]

This material comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian information unit, but May not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Quotations or extracts should include attribution to the original sources. All materials copyright © UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2005