CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC APPROVE PEACE DEAL WITH REBEL GROUPS

A peace deal between the government of the Central African Republic (CAR) and 14 rebel groups in the region has been struck after talks in Sudan, this was announced by the officials.

The deal was pronounced by the UN mission in Central African Republic, known as Minusca, and the African Union (AU), which both sponsored the talks in Khartoum.

"This is a great day for Central African Republic and all its people," Smail Chergui, the AU Commisioner said.

The government said the peace deal will soon be signed in Bangui.

The details of the agreement have not been released and analysts caution because all the former peace deals have all collapsed.

Central African Republic, which is not stable since gaining independence from France in 1960, was plunged into turmoil in 2013 when Muslim rebels from the Seleka umbrella group grabbed power in the majority-Christian country.

A band of mostly Christian militias, called the anti-Balaka, arose to counter the Seleka.

Thousands have lost their life due to the violence and over one million internally displaced. An estimated 570,000 people have fled abroad.

"We have finalised a peace agreement in Khartoum, enabling the people of Central African Republic to embark on a path of reconciliation, agreement and development," This was tweeted by Mr Chergui yesterday.

"#Centrafrique: I am humbled to announce that with the exemplary cooperation I received from both the Government of the CAR(@GouvCF) and the 14 armed groups, we have secured a #peace agreement today in the interest of the people of #CAR. #AfricanInitiative https://t.co/depHqmN8n5"

The government of President Faustin-Archange Touadera also made the confirmation of the agreement on Twitter.

"This agreement should be initialled tomorrow (Sunday) and its signing will take place in Bangui in a few days," the tweet stated.

A spokesperson for the FPRC armed faction said consensus had been reached on sticking points which included an amnesty for militia fighters and an inclusive government.

"We were able to agree on what is essential for the Central African Republic - peace. We hope this agreement will bring back social cohesion to the country," Abakar Sabom stated.