In the Central African Republic, 10 of the 19 Central African Armed Forces (FACA) soldiers released by the CPC rebellion arrived in Bangui on Wednesday afternoon, April 5, where they were welcomed by several members of the government. The others are expected tomorrow in the capital. The Red Cross, which picked them up, organized their repatriation after a night spent in Birao, in the northeast of the country. Upon their arrival at the airport, Defense Minister Claude Rameaux Bireau expressed his “relief” and said that health monitoring would be provided before the soldiers returned to their families. They remained in rebel hands for almost two months after their capture on February 14. The 20th prisoner is in Chad for medical treatment, and will be released later.
Of the the capture of the village of Sikikedéin the province of Vakaga, during which these men had been taken prisoner on February 14, the CPC had announced its intention to hand them over to the international community.
But these releases took longer than expected, the discussions dragged on: the rebels blame the government. In their press release, they accuse Bangui of having wanted write these men off “: ” Faustin-Archange Touadéra wanted to see them dead rather than alive in order to accuse the CPC of crimes and discredit its fight”writes the military spokesman of the group Mamadou Koura.
The CPC says it turned to the mediator of the Republic Laurent Ngon Baba and to the Swiss organization Center for Humanitarian Dialogue, without success.
Finally, the rebels released the soldiers on Tuesday April 4 so as to unilateral “, they say, entrusting them to the Red Cross, because they mobilized too many resources, in particular for their guard. The ICRC then received them in Birao, in the northeast of the country, then transferred them to Bangui on Wednesday afternoon, where they were welcomed by the Minister of Defence, Claude Rameaux Bireau.
The spokesman for the general staff, Lieutenant-Colonel Kpako, nevertheless denies the accusations ” abandonment “: ” the thread of negotiations has never been broken and the releases are the result of the continued involvement of the authorities and the international community he says.
Before their release on Tuesday April 4, President Touadéra had assured in an official speech Thursday that ” everything was done for these releases.
► To listen also Central African Republic: what security, political and social situation?
