The government of the Central African Republic has agreed to a peace deal with rebel groups after talks in Sudan.
The deal between the government and 14 rebel groups is expected to bring peace to a country that has been gripped with fighting for years.
The UN mission in CAR, known as Minusca, and the African Union (AU) facilitated the peace talks with the announcement made on Saturday in Khartoum.
Announcing the deal, AU commissioner Smail Chergui said “This is a great day for Central African Republic and all its people.”
Although details of the agreement are yet to be made public, the government has said that the deal would be signed in capital Bangui soon.
Central African @GouvCF and 14 armed groups reached an agreement at Kharthoum peace talks – The meeting started on 24 January with @AU_Chergui facilitation and @UN support #CARpeace #AfricanInitiative pic.twitter.com/mccJ8hN01L
— MINUSCA (@UN_CAR) February 2, 2019
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President Faustin-Archange Touadera’s government confirmed the agreement on it’s Twitter Page.
It said the “A peace agreement was obtained at the moment in Khartoum. This agreement should be initialled tomorrow (Sunday) and its signature will take place in Bangui in a few days.”
Un accord de paix a été obtenu a l’instant à Khartoum. Cet accord devrait être paraphé demain et sa signature avoir lieu à Bangui dans quelques jours…
— Gouvernement Centrafricain (@GouvCF) February 2, 2019
Meanwhile a spokesman for one of the armed groups called FPRC said the agreement includes an amnesty for militia fighters and an inclusive government.
Abakar Sabom is quoted by the BBC as saying that “We were able to agree on what is essential for the Central African Republic – peace. We hope this agreement will bring back social cohesion to the country.”
Impact of the Conflict in CAR
Thousands of people have died in Central African Republic after Muslim Seleka rebels ousted President Francois Bozize in 2013.
The ousting provoked attacks from the Christian “anti-balaka” militia. The anti-balaka groups have been carrying out revenge killings.
Muslim self-defense groups have also sprang up saying they are protecting the Muslim civilians against ethnic violence.
#Centrafrique: I am humbled to announce that with the exemplary cooperation I received from both the Government of the CAR(@GouvCF) and the 14 armed groups, we have secured a #peace agreement today in the interest of the people of #CAR. #AfricanInitiative pic.twitter.com/depHqmN8n5
— Amb. Smail Chergui (@AU_Chergui) February 2, 2019
The violence became intense after France ended its peacekeeping mission in 2016.
The government barely controls the capital Bangui and the UN mission in the country has struggled to restore order.
Source: Africafeeds.com
