The Seleka and anti-Balaka rebel groups and government hardly agree on peace measures.

The President of the transitional government in the Central African Republic, Catherine Samba-Panza, has embarked on a new round of consultations within the framework of inclusive political dialogue with the two rival Seleka and anti-Balaka militias, civil society leaders, political actors and representatives of the international community.

This comes after violent clashes that started in Bangui on October 7, 2014, leading to the killing of over 10 people; one of them a UN peacekeeper. The current dialogue is just one in a series of talks that often end in stalemate. The actors are mostly to blame for the failure of endless consultations in the country.

Anti-Balaka

The violent clashes that started on October 7, 2014, in the capital city, Bangui, are blamed on the Christian-dominated anti-Balaka militia that first called on its representatives in the transitional government to withdraw. They went further to insist that Transitional President, Catherine Samba-Panza and Prime Minister Mahamat Kamoun, should resign to give way for the third transition.

Patrice Edouard Ngaissona, National Coordinator of anti-Balaka, said the transitional authorities were not doing enough to bring peace and effectively carry out the transition process. He accused the President of embezzling the over 10 million US Dollars Angolan assistance. Fighters followed the call with violent attacks on UN peacekeeping positions and Bangui population, looting property in the process.

Seleka

The Muslim-dominated rebel group has been at the root cause of the recent crisis in the Central African Republic. It rejected the current transitional government formed by Catherine Samba-Panza late August this year with even a Muslim, Mahamat Kamoun, as Prime Minister. The Seleka spokesman, Abou Mal Mal Hissene, is quoted as saying that, “We think the transitional President did not take into account the views of Seleka, which still controls most of the country. Seleka will not participate in the next government,” he threatened.

Seleka fighters called for the withdrawal of all their members appointed in the all-inclusive government. This has been a continuous source of instability. The group is further fragmented with one rival faction led by General Alkhatim Mahamat and the other one by General Joseph Zoundeko. Recent fighting between the two rival factions led to the killing of more than 30 people in Bambari. General Alkhatim Mahamat wants peace and the implementation of the Brazzaville Agreement to stop hostilities, but General Joseph Zoundeko is for the partition of the country into Muslim North and Christian South.

Government, International Community

Although the transitional President Samba-Panza has opted for dialogue, she strongly condemned the recent anti-Balaka led violent attacks in Bangui, describing them as an institutional coup attempt organised by the “coalition of negative forces” with the aim of installing the third transition. Antoinette Montaigne, government’s spokesperson, in a press release, said the “negative forces” sponsored the Bangui attacks.

The general government machinery lacks harmony as the National Transitional Council or interim Parliament somehow instigated the violence by accusing the President of embezzling Angolan aid money and requested an explanation in the House.  A UN official, who requested for anonymity, accused the government of being complacent by opening dialogue with the rebels.