BANGUI, (Reuters) – Rebels in the Central African Republic yesterday seized the town of Bambari, the biggest prize yet in a push that has brought rebels to within 400 km (250 miles) of the capital, Bangui.
“Bambari has fallen. It is a disaster,” Mylene Abissini, a customs officer resident in the town, told Reuters by telephone.
Local officials said government forces withdrew from the town, the country’s third largest and the furthest south the rebel coalition has advanced, after two hours of fighting.
The rebels have extended gains south in recent days, ignoring an order by leaders from across Central Africa for them to withdraw from occupied areas and begin talks with the government in Bangui.
The swift rebel advance has highlighted how fragile the government’s hold is on the land-locked nation, which has seen decades of instability since independence from France in 1960.
