A faction of Seleka overran the second town last week in the southeast. The peace pact signed earlier this year by the Central African Republic, CAR government, Séléka rebels, the civil society and opposition political parties in Libreville, Gabon now appears to be on the rocks with the recent capture of another town in the southeast by a faction of the rebels.

AFP news agency quoted a military source as saying that the rebels overran the town of Rafaï on March 12, 2013 and were moving toward Zemio, 160 km away. The source said the rebels arrived from Bangassou, 130 km away, a town on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo that they took on March 11, 2013. Just like in Bangassou, the rebels are said not to have faced any resistance in capturing Rafaï.

It is understood that the few security forces present in Rafaï fled before the arrival of the rebels. The town has not had any military presence for some time but rebels of Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army, operate in the area. While the government attributes the recent attacks to a faction of Séléka, it could well be the handiwork of armed men from neighbouring Sudan, another military source suggested. Last month, another faction of Séléka took two towns in the north on the border with Chad.

Meanwhile, Jean-Jacques Demafouth, a former rebel leader and cabinet minister, on Wednesday, March 13, 2013 fled to Chad. He said he was escaping arrest after CAR authorities reportedly accused him of supporting Séléka rebels, Radio France Internationale, said. In its monthly report for February 2013, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said over 166,000 children had no access to education after schools in conflict areas had been shut down. The situation, the report notes, is further complicated by the slow implementation of the January 11, 2013 Libreville Peace Agreement.