SA troops in Bangui

BANGUI, CAR: At least 200 South African soldiers have arrived in Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, to try to secure it from advancing rebels, a military source said Sunday (6 January).

"This well-equipped South African contingent arrived in the middle of the week. Its mission is to secure the Central African Republic's capital city of Bangui," the source told AFP.

The troops, based not far from the neighbourhood housing the residence of President Francois Bozize, "joins in Central Africa a South African military contingent already deployed as part of military co-operation", the source added.

After the South African troops arrived, the co-ordinator of the Citizens Coalition Opposed to the Armed Rebels, Levy Yakite, appealed on national radio for his movement to lift the roadblocks set up to prevent any rebel infiltration.

With the Seleka rebel coalition threatening to march on Bangui, 120 troops from Gabon, Congo-Brazzaville and Cameroon have arrived to assist the CAR forces according to a source with the multi-national African peacekeeping force FOMAC.

They will join 400 Chadian soldiers already deployed to protect the key town of Damara, the source said.

Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge