Mediators in Central African crisis return to Bangui

Paris, France (PANA) - Mediators in the Central African Republic (CAR) crisis, Mgr Paulin Pomodimo and Henri Maïdou left Paris at weekend for Bangui after concluded their consultations with exiled opposition leaders in Europe and the US.
Mgr Pomodimo told PANA in Paris before departure that positive results had emerged from the tour he and another colleague in the national dialogue co-ordinating committee had made to the two continents.

"We held two meetings in Paris with the Central African Patriots Co-ordination during which we agreed to convene a pre-dialogue gathering outside the Central African Republic. "We also took note of our compatriots' other political and military-related demands. We are returning to Bangui to report to our president," said Pomodimo, who also heads the Central African Episcopal Conference.

The tour to the US also enabled members of the dialogue co- ordination committee to sensitise US government and UN officials on the need to back the search for a compromise in CAR, the archbishop said.

"We were well received by secretary of state (Colin) Powel's close adviser at the State Department and UN secretary general (Kofi) Annan's assistants at the UN where we received promises for support in our mediation work," Mgr Pomodimo told PANA. According to Mgr Podimo, this support could come in the form of military hardware to peacekeepers of the Central African States Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) deployed in Bangui.

The CEMAC forces are charged with the physical protection of CAR President Ange-Felix Patasse after the departure of Libyan military troops.

"We pleaded with our American and UN hosts on the need to strengthen the capacities of CEMAC contingents to ensure security throughout the country as well as our border with Chad. The national dialogue will not yield positive results without security," Mgr Pomodimo added.