The Central African Republic (CAR) President Faustin-Archange Touadera on Monday made an appeal to the people of the country to defy threats and come forward to vote in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary polls on December 27, reported Africa News.
“What we deplore and condemn is that, instead of entering into the process so that we can have peace, now that we have recovered constitutional order, we must recover that order for democracy in the country. Unfortunately, some people are engaged in paths of violence, which the people condemn and which we also condemn”, Touadera said as he waved to supporters in the capital city Bangui.
The appeal was made after CAR’s main opposition coalition called for postponing the upcoming election due to violence by armed groups outside the capital Bangui. The opposition called for the vote to be canceled until peace and security gets restored in the country. But the CAR government wants the presidential and legislative elections to be held as planned.
Last week, the government accused former president Francois Bozize of organizing a rebel alliance to attack Bangui. He has been accused of backing a rebel movement keen on overthrowing the government.
Several militia groups, some having connections with Bozize, have been attacking civilians and election campaign convoys. But, the former president, whose candidacy for the presidential election was rejected, has denied organizing any rebel attack.
Meanwhile, several countries including Rwanda and Russia have sent troops and supplies to the CAR to help counter a surge in violence by rebel groups ahead of Sunday’s election.
On Monday, the United Nations Security Council strongly condemned the violence by armed groups in CAR.
“The members of the Security Council called on all actors to urgently cease hostile actions and work towards ensuring conditions conducive to the holding of the upcoming elections,” the council said.
