Ousted CAR President François Bozizé Leaves Cameroon for Asylum in South Africa

Francios Bozizé, fleeing to South Africa

Ousted Central African President, François Bozizé who was on temporary refuge in Cameroon has left the country for asylum in South Africa, reports China View, Xinhua.

Francois Bozize fled to Cameroon on Monday March 25, 2013, after rebels seized power in a rapid weekend assault that killed 13 South African soldiers.

According to Capital News, South Africa said 13 of its soldiers were killed and 27 wounded in the weekend fighting in Bangui – the country’s heaviest military loss since the end of the apartheid era.

South Africa deployed 200 soldiers to the Central African Republic in January to support government troops.

South African forces who were there to aid Mr. Bozize’s troops suffered casualties when they “fought a high-tempo battle for nine hours defending the South African military base, until the bandits raised a white flag and asked for a cease-fire”, South African President Jacob Zuma said (Washington Times).

According to a diplomatic source, after supporting Bozize, the South African government expressed the wish to welcome him following his ouster.

The Republic of Benin had also expressed the wish to grant the ousted CAR president asylum.

A security source says Francios Bozizé left Cameroon on Sunday June 2, 2013 onboard a Kenyan Airways flight heading to Nairobi.

A source from Nairobi confirmed to NewsWatch that the ousted CAR president was spotted at the Jomo Kenyatta Airport in that country same Sunday at about 15:00 GMT.

His departure came just barely two days after an international arrest warrant was issued against him by the interim president, Michel Djotodia.

He has been charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity.

When the ousted CAR president arrived Cameroon, the Presidency of the Republic of Cameroon announced in a radio broadcast that he had “sought refuge in Cameroon” and was “awaiting his departure to another host country”.

In the same statement that was signed by the Minister, Secretary general at the Presidency of the Republic of Cameroon, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, the Cameroonian government reaffirmed "its commitment to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other States."

In an interview with Le Patriote, that has been published on Biyokulule Online(May 22, 2013), the interim president of the Central African Repulic, Michel Djotodia said there is no problem between the CAR and Cameroon which is their closest neighbor with whom they share the same history. “It is an issue of agenda. My brother Paul Biya has been quite busy over the past weeks. There is no reason for the relations between two states to be spoiled because of one individual”.

Djotodia added that “Bozize is still there (in Cameroon) probably because arrangements are ongoing. At the appointed time, he will leave Cameroon”.

By Ndi Eugene Ndi