Ousted CAR president François Bozizé says no plans for asylum

In an interview with RFI, ousted Central African Republic president François Bozizé insisted that Chad was behind the recent coup in which he was overthrown.

REUTERS/Luc Gnago

“We know the military capacity of Seleka, which was obvious on March 23rd, but on Sunday 24th new elements arrived, with new vehicles, new arms, 30 or 40 well-equipped pick up trucks, they went through several towns before reaching Bangui. They went through towns in Chad, as well as in Central Africa. We have antennae here and there, the gendarmerie, the police, who told us this time it was not Seleka, but Chadian elements who were heading towards Bangui.” Bozizé was speaking inYaoundé in Cameroon, where he has taken temporary refuge.

Bozizé told RFI's Boniface Vignon that all the goods which had been pillaged since the outbreak of hostilities had crossed the countries borders with Chad or Sudan, asking why they had not been stopped at the frontiers.

The ousted president said he hoped for a return to constitutional order and that elections should be held in a year, allowing sufficient time to organise them.

Bozizé says he thinks he would be welcome in Benin if he decided to seek political exile there, but that for the moment he has made no such application. “My destination, I will know it with time.” he stated.