Central African Republic: Interim President Djotodia to step down – sources

Central African Republic’s interim President Michel Djotodia (pictured), is due to step down at a summit of regional leaders on Thursday amid frustration at his failure to quell religious violence in his nation, diplomatic and political sources said.

“It’s finished for him now,” said a source close to Djotodia, who said he was due to step aside at the summit on Thursday in the Chadian capital N’Djamena.

Political sources in Bangui said Central African leaders led by Chad’s Idriss Deby had run out of patience with Djotodia, who seized power in March.

African troops deployed in the country are working to stop tit-for-tat violence between Muslim Seleka rebels, who seized power in March, and Christian militias.

Seleka leader Djotodia, installed as interim president under a deal with regional African states, has been powerless to halt the bloodshed, which has displaced some 1 million people and stirred fears of a repeat of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide.

The meeting will discuss the various options for continuing the transition. The presidents of Congo Republic and Gabon, who are mediating in the crisis, would then convene a meeting to discuss the transition in Bangui on January 11, diplomatic sources said.

Source: Reuters