BANGUI, Central African Republic A spokesman for shadowy rebels in Central African Republic denied his fighters have bases in Sudan and vowed to oust the president of this volatile nation in the heart of Africa.
Government spokesman Cyriaque Gonda said Monday that armed fighters based in Sudan's troubled Darfur region crossed into Central African Republic a day earlier and attacked the northern town of Birao in fighting that killed both civilians and army troops. Contacted by telephone from Birao, rebel spokesman Abakar Saboune confirmed his fighters assaulted the town and claimed they now control it. It was not possible, however, to independently confirm the claim, though an army lieutenant citing a government security report has also said rebels seized the town. "We are in full control of the town of Birao and its surroundings," Saboune said, adding that rebels planned to use Birao as a base to push toward the capital, Bangui, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) to the southwest. Saboune said his fighters were not operating in Sudan and were not receiving help from any groups or the government there. Gonda told The Associated Press his government was "not accusing Sudan of attacking the CAR, but we wonder why rebels groups may so easily come from a neighboring and friendly country like Sudan." Following an attack by Chadian rebels on Chad's capital in April, Bangui briefly closed its border with Sudan amid reports that Chadian rebels had used Central African Republic territory to carry the attacks. Central African Republic has suffered decades of army revolts, coups and rebellions since the nation gained independence from France in 1960. Little is known about the rebels. Unidentified armed groups have launched sporadic attacks on military installations in remote regions of the Central African Republic over the past year, displacing tens of thousands of refugees. Saboune said his fighters had been in Central African Republic since April, when they entered from a neighboring country he declined to name.Central African Republic has borders with Sudan, Chad, Congo, Republic of Congo and Cameroon.
Saboune was once a well-known army captain who served with rebels led by President Francois Bozize, who swept to power in a bush war that culminated with a rebel assault on Bangui in 2003. Bozize's forces ousted former President Ange-Felix Patasse, and Bozize later held elections and won the presidency in May 2005. Saboune said rebels took up arms because Bozize's government was allegedly no better than that of Patasse. "When we were fighting alongside Francois Bozize, we were expecting him to bring true change to the Central African Republic. But nepotism, corruption, mismanagement of public funds ... are still there," Saboune said.
"We cannot accept it anymore."
Saboune also alleged top government jobs had gone to members of Bozize's Baya ethnic group, which makes up about 40 percent of the country's 3.6 million people and dozens of ethnic groups. "We were the ones who brought Bozize to power," Saboune said. "Since he is misbehaving, we decided to go to the bush and form another rebellion to come and overthrow him." Saboune claimed 13 government soldiers died in Sunday's fighting, along with two rebels.The government has given no casualty figures, and Gonda said only that some civilians and government forces had been killed.
Some 14 soldiers at the Birao military barracks helped the rebels organize the attack and defected to the rebel side, Saboune said, adding that 10 other government troops were captured. The government has not commented on the claim.
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