Central African Republic Politics CAR adopts amnesty legislationafrol News, 30 September - Central African Republic parliament has adopted an amnesty law to allow conclusion of inclusive political dialogue between government and rebel group.Seventy-two out of 104-members of parliament voted to adopt the law, while one deputy abstained and 31 opposition members who refused to participate were counted as absent.
Legislation will protect both rebels and certain government officials from prosecution for crimes they have allegedly committed.
Jean-Jacques Demafouth, exiled leader of Popular Army for Restoration of Democracy (APRD) said he wanted to see text in detail, before making a decision about it.
APRD pulled out of peace talks at beginning of August, because of draft amnesty and other grievances.
CAR peace talks have been deadlocked for ages, and amnesty law was latest stumbling block, although government and rebels resumed talks in Gabon in September.
Government resumed talks with rebels in Gabon earlier this month.
Meanwhile, another rebel group was reported to have seized control of a village in north near Sudan.
About 20-armed men from Forces for the Unification of the Central African Republic (Firca) took over Am Dafok, east of Birao, a police official told AFP news agency.
Firca splintered from Union of Democratic Forces for the Rally (UFDR), which signed a peace deal with president Francois Bozize in April 2007.
Demafouth heads both APRD and New Alliance for Progress (NAP) party, the creation of which CAR authorities approved in August.
One of world's poorest nations, CAR is plagued by insecurity in its northern territories, where rebels and bandits have been battling government troops since president Bozize's election victory in 2005. By staff writer © afrol News |