US condemns violence in CAR

[iolsa]

Washington - The United States on Monday condemned the ousting of Central African Republic leader Francois Bozize, but stopped short of calling for him to be reinstated or denouncing his toppling as a coup.

"In terms of whether this is a coup or not, that's something that we're reviewing... There's always a legal review before the US makes that determination," State Department spokesperson Patrick Ventrell said. "But we do condemn the actions over the weekend."

CAR rebels seized the capital Bangui on Sunday in a rapid assault that left 13 South African soldiers dead after the collapse of a two-month-old peace deal with Bozize's regime.

Bozize fled and was said to be in Cameroon on Monday, although Ventrell said the United States did not know his whereabouts.

"We do condemn the seizing of power by force by the Seleka rebel alliance and the appointment by Seleka of a president outside of any constitutional framework," Ventrell said.

The rebels, however, have promised to respect the peace deal which sets out elections in three years in the former French colony.

Ventrell said the hope was that the rebels would "recognise the continued legitimacy of the Libreville agreement, ensure its implementation" as well as support Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye.

"It's our assessment... that there is a way to keep the integrity of the Libreville agreement if the prime minister and his governor are allowed to govern and actually run the government day to day."

January's deal had already brought several prominent figures from Seleka, a loose alliance of three rebel movements, into the government.

But the agreement collapsed after the rebels said their demands, which included the release of people they described as political prisoners, had not been met. - Sapa-AFP



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