CAR - Govt Considers Holding National Dialogue

President Samba-Panza on June 4, 2014 met political leaders to discuss the state of the nation.

In the face of the worrying humanitarian and security situation in the country, the Transitional President of the Central African Republic, CAR, Catherine Samba-Panza, on Wednesday, June 4, 2014, met political party leaders to mull over the way forward.

The APA news agency said the possibility of holding a national reconciliation dialogue in the capital, Bangui, was discussed as well as human rights violations by armed groups and reequipping the Armed Forces. Stakeholders also reviewed the stalled disarmament of militias and the need to offer more protection to civilians and their property.

Louis Pierre Gamba and Rainaldy Sioké of the 'Rassemblement Démocratique Centrafricain' (RDC), Georges Anicet Dologuele of the 'l'Union pour le Renouveau Centrafricain' (URCA) and a delegation of the Kwa Na Kwa (KNK) Labour party led by Bertin Béa, its Secretary General, were among the major leaders received by the Head of State.

In a report released yesterday, June 5, 2014, Human Rights Watch, HRW, proposed that government authorities and international peacekeepers should allow Moslems to seek temporary protection in neighbouring countries. It advanced as reason the fact that many Moslems living in a few heavily-guarded areas endure unsustainable, life-threatening conditions and say they want to leave.

The majority of Moslems left in the western part of the country are ethnic Peuhl nomads living in small enclaves such as in Boda, Carnot and Yaloké. They are heavily guarded by MISCA peacekeepers and French 'Operation Sangaris' troops. Because of persistent threats against the Peuhl, peacekeepers have drastically restricted their movements, HRW said.

"Conceding that many threatened Moslems in the Central African Republic need to leave the country temporarily is an option of last resort, but there are no other immediate solutions. Keeping desperate Moslems in tightly-guarded enclaves in terrible conditions, is no way to deal with the situation," said Peter Bouckaert, Emergencies Director at Human Rights Watch.