Less than a month after it was signed, the Central African Republic's peace agreement was under strain on Monday after five militia groups either pulled out or rejected the make-up of the new government. The peace pact, negotiated in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum before being signed in Bangui on February 6, bought together President Faustin-Archange Touadera and the leaders of the 14 armed groups who control most territory in the African nation.
On Monday, one of the main militia groups, the Union for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC), led by Ali Darassa, said the peace deal was "threatened if the government does not show a clear change of attitude". A UPC representative had been appointed Minister of Livestock in the new government. Another group, the Democratic Front of the Central African People (FPDC) announced it was walking away in protest at the newly formed government. The FPDC "is resolved purely and simply to withdraw from the peace process," it said in a statement sent to AFP.
The group, whose stronghold is in the northwest, protested that the new government formed on Sunday was "far from being inclusive".
In a video released on social media on Monday, Prime Minister Firmin Ngrebada said the government would "follow the arrangements" of the peace agreement and criticised militias for demanding too many posts.
"Today we have a government of 36 members, it was not possible to bring five members of each armed group into government, it would be too bloated," the premier said.
Another large militia, the Patriotic Movement for Central Africa (MPC), said it considered the accord "void." One of its founders had been given a minister's post.
Just hours after the ministerial list was unveiled on Sunday, the Popular Front for the Renaissance of the Central African Republic (FPRC), said it was leaving the government.
The FPRC did not specify whether it planned to remain part of the peace process, but charged the authorities with "bad faith, amateurism and incompetence." It is the eighth attempt to bring peace to the CAR, one of the world's poorest and most unstable countries, since mainly Muslim rebels ousted president Francois Bozize, a Christian, in 2013.
France, the former colonial ruler, intervened militarily under a UN mandate as fears grew of a Rwandan-style genocide.
The Seleka rebels were forced from power and in February 2016, Touadera, a former prime minister, was elected president.
Under the peace accord's provisions, Touadera agreed to form an "inclusive" government. But in the team unveiled on Sunday, the ministers in sensitive key posts all kept their jobs, while six of the 14 armed groups obtained no post at all.
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