Rebels in Central African Republic on Monday said they have retained control of seven towns after pullout from around Damara, 90 km north of the capital Bangui. The military spokesman for the rebel coalition Seleka, Michel Narkoyo, made the revelation after rebels withdrawn from Damara on Sunday.
Seleka was formed in December in an insurgency to overthrow President Francois Bozize before signing the peace agreements on January 11 in the Gabonese capital Libreville. Narkoyo said rebels still control northern, central and eastern parts of the country, including Kaga-Bandoro, Sibut, Alindao, Ndele, Bria, Bambari and Soamoandja.
Since the formation of the national unity government led by opposition leader Nicolas Tiangaye on February 3, there has been a division within the ranks of the rebel coalition, according to the spokesman. The discord was caused by a proposal by the opposition to disarm Seleka.
The rebels insist that they will disarm only on condition that the South African and Ugandan soldiers allied to Bozize leave the country and political prisoners are released.
An official source in Bangui said the 1,800 Seleka troops withdrawn from Damara have been grouped at Sibut, where they are awaiting the identification process to enable the government to determine the exact number of rebel fighters to be disarmed.