Seleka rebels detain 5 CAR ministers

The Seleka rebels in the Central African Republic have detained five ministers who recently joined the CAR government from rebel ranks after a peace deal, officials say.

CAR Security Minister Josue Binoua told AFP that the five ministers, who travelled to the city of Sibut north of the capital Bangui, had been detained on Monday.

The delegation was scheduled to visit representatives of the Seleka rebel coalition in order to hold talks about the implementation of the peace deal.

Rebel Colonel Djouma Narkoyo said the CAR government should make good on the promises it made in the peace deal.

“We are giving the government 72 hours to respond to these demands, failing which Seleka will resume hostilities,” he said.

The ministers being held are themselves some of the main leaders of the Seleka rebel movement.

On January 11, the CAR president and representatives of the Seleka rebels signed an agreement in Libreville, Gabon after three days of negotiations brokered by regional neighbors.

Under the deal, some opposition figures and members of the rebels’ coalition were given a number of key posts in the government.

The Seleka rebels launched an offensive against the CAR government in December 2012.

There are many mineral resources, including gold and diamonds, in the Central African Republic. However, the country is extremely poor and has faced a series of rebellions and coups since it gained independence in 1960.