Since President Ange-Félix Patassé came to power in 1993, the Central African Republic has almost disintegrated. Another attempt to put it back together began on 26 February, at a conference chaired by Mali’s ex-President, General Amadou Toumani Touré. The General is struggling to implement the agreements signed at a Franco-African summit in January 1997, under which about 1,000 troops from Gabon, Burkina Faso, Togo, Chad, Mali and Senegal (with logistic support from France) were meant to disarm the CAR’s warring factions. This force, known as Misab (Mission International de Suivi des Accords de Bangui ) has disarmed about 85 per cent of the soldiers who mutinied against the Patassé regime three times in 1996. Most of these ex-mutineers and their spokesman Captain Anice Saulet are Yakoma from the Presidential Guard of Patassé’s Yakoma predecessor, ex-President André Kolingba." />

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Vol 43 No 10

Published 17th May 2002


South Africa

Mbeki's front line

In a year of international negotiations and party elections, Mbeki will need loyal friends

President Thabo Mbeki's rapid rise in the African National Congress after it was legalised in 1990 surprised many outsiders. Yet for years inside the tent, Mbeki built a circle of friends and supporters who backed him in party elections and now occupy key government positions. . .

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