Central African Republic Closes Border With Congo

Central African Republic (AP) The Central African Republic closed its border crossings with Congo on Tuesday, apparently trying to stop the cross-border flow of arms and dissidents.

Home Affairs Minister Theodore Bicko announced the border closing on state television. Bicko said the closing was until further notice.

Bicko gave no reason, but the border zone has been tense since a failed May coup in the Central African Republic. An estimated 25,000 citizens of the Central African Republic fled across the border to the Congo town of Zongo to escape retribution for the military uprising.

The Central African Republic has blamed the Yakoma ethnic group in the failed coup. Hundreds of Yakoma are believed to have been killed in the capital, Bangui, since the coup attempt.

Security forces allege many of the weapons used in the uprising were smuggled in from Congo.

It is unclear what impact the border closure will have on Congolese rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba, whose forces control northern Congo and who sent fighters to support Central African Republic President Ange Felix-Patasse against the coup attempt. Cut off from the rest of Congo by the 3-year war there, the Congo rebel zone gets much of its goods from the Central African Republic.

In New York, the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday demanded the Central African Republic take urgent steps to end the violence that has followed the coup attempt. The powerful 15-member council also urged the international community to contribute to a $75 million emergency economic and social recovery program and make greater efforts to reduce poverty.

While the Security Council stressed that "an enhanced international effort will be necessary" to help the Central African Republic's recovery, it said the country's political leaders and people are primarily responsible for national reconciliation, stability and reconstruction.

The United Nations ended a peacekeeping mission to the country last year but has a small peace-building mission in the country.










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