By Hassan Isilow
BANGUI
The African Union mediator in the Central African Republic (CAR) said the war-ravaged country was not ready for elections because tens of thousands of its people had fled the country over the ongoing sectarian violence.
"The current conditions are not conducive to organize elections, because many people have fled due to the conflict and it’s impossible to register voters," Basile Ikouebe, who is also Congo Brazzaville’s Foreign Minister, told a one-day conference organized by the AU in Bangui late Saturday.
The meet was aimed at discussing the conflict and the work of the African peacekeeping force, MISCA.
"We can’t organize elections without first resolving this crisis," Ikouebe said.
He asserted that if elections were hurriedly organized it would lead to another conflict because many people who had fled the country would not be able to vote.
The AU mediator insisted that it was important to first resolve the conflict and when people return to their homes an election date can be set.
CAR, a landlocked, mineral-rich country, descended into anarchy in March, when Seleka rebels – said to be mostly Muslim – ousted Christian president François Bozize, who had come to power in a 2003 coup.
The country has since been plagued by tit-for-tat sectarian violence between the self-styled Christian militias, known as "anti-balaka," and former seleka fighters.
According to UN estimates, more than 400,000 people – nearly ten percent of the country's 4.6 million-strong population – have abandoned their homes as a result of the violence.
Ikouebe said when Michel Djotodia assumed power after the ouster of Bozize, the AU gave the interim government 24 months to hold election, but latter reduced the period to 18 months and again cut it to 12 months.
"But now, I think it’s better to first resolve the conflict," he told the conference.
-Criticism-
The conference was attended by Chadian Foreign Minister Moussa Faki Mahamat, who represented President Idris Deby, the current chair of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC).
It was also attended by members of the diplomatic community in Bangui as well as representatives of MISCA, the UN and the US.
Mahamat used the platform to criticize ousted Bozize, accusing him of inciting masses to turn against Chadians living in CAR.
"Central African citizens should stop being used by politicians like Bozize who failed to manage the country well," he told the conference.
CAR Christians accuse Chad of supporting the ex-seleka rebels to toppled Bozize.
Two light-skinned Chadian nationals were lynched by an angry mob of Christians on Saturday as they traveled to Bangui airport to board a plane that had been provided by their government to repatriate Chadians living in CAR.
"Today our government repatriated 4,000 Chadians and we shall continue to take more of our people because we need to protect them," said Mahamat.
The top diplomat accused some media outlets of giving Chadian peacekeepers a bad image
He cited recent media reports that Chadian troops had thrown a grenade at a group of Burundian peacekeepers and after they had arrested some ex-seleka fighters freed by the Chadians.
"As I arrived in Bangui I asked the MISCA commander if there was a conflict between Chadian and Burundian troops he said there is no conflict," Mahamat said.
"We are not here in CAR to destroy the country, but to help in restoring peace," he insisted.
