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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, October 29, 2002

Heavy Fighting Breaks Out in Central African Capital

Heavy fighting broke out on Mondayin Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic (CAR) as government troops battled rebels loyal to a former army chief for a fourth day, according to reports reaching Nairobi from Bangui..


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Heavy fighting broke out on Mondayin Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic (CAR) as government troops battled rebels loyal to a former army chief for a fourth day, according to reports reaching Nairobi from Bangui..

The reports said the sound of automatic weapons echoed from twokm north of the residence of President Ange-Felix Patasse on the fringes of an area the rebels have held since Friday.

That suggested neither side had gained much ground despite heavy shelling by the loyalists at the weekend.

Their attack is the latest in a series of mutinies, coup attempts and raids to hit the former French colony since 1996.

Patasse has been in power since winning a 1993 election and wasre-elected in 1999.

Like Patasse, ex-army commander Francois Bozize is a northernerbut belongs to a different ethnic group.

Bozize told Radio France International on Sunday that Patasse had to negotiate with his opponents or step down "so a transition based on consensus could be put in place."

There has been no word from Patasse since the start of the insurgency, but a government spokesman said on Sunday loyalist troops had surrounded the rebels, who were told to "surrender or be crushed."

The loyalists are being supported by at least 200 Libyan troops,who were first dispatched by Tripoli in May 2001 to help Patasse put down an attempted coup.


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