Central African Republic
Rebel leader's son caught in Central African Republic

afrol News, 24 February - The government in Bangui has achieved a new means of pressure against ex-army chief and rebel leader François Bozize, who has terrorised the northern parts of the country for over half a year. The rebel leader's son is now detained in Bangui. 

Socrate Bozize, son of François Bozize, was on Friday arrested by security police in Bangui, capital of the war-ravaged Central African Republic. Bozize junior is now detained for questioning by security police officials.

The detention in a Bangui suburb is to have been a consequence of government orders to start country-wide investigations of what really happened during the attempted coup d'état in October last year. At that occasion, the ex-army chief of staff had recruited troops in neighbouring Chad and attacked the capital in an attempt to overthrow the legally elected government of President Ange-Félix Patassé.

Security police is reportedly questioning Mr Bozize junior about his possible role in the coup attempt and what he known about his father's planning of the coup. From Bangui, there are also reports of speculations to whether the government take advantage of the situation to hold the rebel leader's son hostage to push François Bozize to lay down his weapons. This is however denied by legal authorities in Bangui.

François Bozize pulled out his troops from Bangui after the attempted coup last year failed, due to a joint effort of loyal government soldiers and troops from Libya and neighbouring countries. Since that, he however has achieved to cling to control of the northern and north-western parts of the country, according to Bangui, with the support of the Chadian government. 

A multinational force from Central Africa and the Horn is now supporting government troops in their fight against the rebels, which do not seem to have other aims than toppling the Bangui government. Despite massive support from abroad, government troops have failed to move the frontline to their favour during the last months.

Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) remains unable to reach around 5,000 internally displaced persons that need emergency aid in rebel-controlled areas. This is mostly due to insecurity in the northern part of the country, according to the UN agency reported, and "virtually no information" is available from the affected area. A major humanitarian crisis could therefore be unfolding behind the frontline.

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