BANGUI
By Hassan Isilow
The chairman of the National Transitional Council (NTC) in the Central African Republic (CAR) has demanded the repatriation of foreign fighters who had helped the seleka coalition overthrow president Francois Bozize in March.
"We have asked the government to identify Chadian and Sudanese mercenaries who are committing crimes on behalf of the seleka to be returned to their countries," Alexandre Ferdinand N'Guendet told Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview.
The 135-member NTC was created by President Michel Djotodia in April, one month after the ouster of predecessor Francois Bozize, in a bid to legitimize the new president's leadership.
Council members were chosen to represent CAR's various political parties, religions, traditional and cultural institutions and the seleka coalition.
The NTC – which wields all the authority of a full-fledged parliament except the right to withdraw confidence from the government – elected Djotodia as interim president for an 18-month transitional period.
N'Guendet insisted that some seleka fighters had committed violent crimes, including looting and murder, after the seleka coalition had assumed power in March.
"These uncontrollable soldiers gave seleka a bad image," he said. "We think it's now time for them to be repatriated back to their countries."
It is the first time that a senior CAR official has confirmed on record to AA that Chadian and Sudanese nationals had in fact assisted in Bozize's ouster.
Former seleka fighters, who have since been incorporated into CAR's national army, are currently staying in seven bases in capital Bangui.
A total of 7,164 ex-seleka fighters are currently believed to be staying inside the Kassai base, Camp Beal, Camp Amphibie, Camp De-Roue, Camp BCS and Camp RDOT.
AA was earlier able to visit Camp Beal, which accommodates 2,172 ex-seleka fighters.
Some of the soldiers on the base listened to Sudanese music; others performed ablutions before performing Muslim prayers.
Their faces, however, didn't look like those of indigenous central Africans. Some, including one officer, looked like lighter-skinned northern Africans.
Army General Yaya Eskut, the camp commander, insisted that all the troops were CAR nationals, despite their looks. He claimed that only 400 of the 2,172 fighters in his camp were Muslims – the rest, he said, were Christians.
N'Guendet, who is himself a Christian, confirmed the same information.
He suggested that up to 50 percent of ex-seleka soldiers were Christians. He went on to blame the current crisis on Bozize, who, he said, had failed to honor the Libreville agreement.
"Although the agreement stated that the prime minister and cabinet ministers would have duties to perform, Bozize didn't respect this and seized all the power, which made the ex-seleka coalition take power by force," he told AA.
Under the 2013 deal, a national unity government was drawn up in which the seleka coalition was represented by several ministers, including Djotodia.
By March, Seleka rebels had resumed fighting, claiming Bozizé had failed to honor the agreement's terms.
Political conflict
NTC president N'Guendet insisted that CAR's ongoing conflict was political and not religious in nature, as many had been made to believe.
"Some politicians in CAR have been inciting the masses to turn against the Muslim population because the top seleka coalition leaders are Muslims," he said.
He added that some politicians were upset that Muslims had assumed control of the country – for the first time since national independence – and had therefore started inciting Christians against Muslims.
According to the CIA factbook, Christians account for around 50 percent of CAR's total population. Muslims account for roughly 15 percent.
N'Guendet dismissed recent talk of disarming militias without the involvement of local soldiers.
"We have told the government to appoint a minister of defense and order our local soldiers to return to work so they can help the African peacekeeping soldiers patrol the streets and disarm rebel groups," he told AA.
"Our local troops know the city well and it would be an advantage if the peacekeepers worked jointly with them," N'Guendet added.
However, the official remains optimistic regarding the prospects for peace and stability in the mineral-rich country.
"We hope things will change for the best," he said.
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