Top of the Morning: CAR President Flees Bangui; Mr Xi Visits Africa

Top stories from DAWNS Digest

CAR Rebels Seize Control of Capital; President Flees

There’s much confusion over who, exactly, is in charge in the Central African Republic as the situation there turns dire. “The Seleka rebel coalition resumed hostilities on Thursday in the former French colony and quickly swept south to Bangui with the aim of ousting [President] Bozize, whom it accused of breaking a January peace deal to integrate its fighters into the army. ‘We have taken the presidential palace,’ Eric Massi, a Seleka spokesman, told Reuters by telephone early on Sunday.” (Reuters http://reut.rs/YOoqsg)


Mr. Xi Goes to Africa


The new chinese president will give a major Africa policy speech today. “Visiting, Tanzania, South Africa and Republic of Congo on his first trip abroad as president following a visit to Russia, Xi is expected to build on expanding economic relations that many Africans see as a healthy counterbalance to the influence of the West…The agreements with Tanzania included plans to co-develop a new port and industrial zone complex, a concessional loan for communications infrastructure and an interest free loan to the Tanzanian government. No details were given on the size of the loans or the monetary value of the projects.” (Reuters http://reut.rs/YOnT9N)