Démission de l’archevêque Pomodimo à titre de coordonnateur du dialogue national; nomination de son successeur
Bangui, Nations Unies(IRIN),
1er septembre 2003 - L’archevêque Paulin Pomodimo, récemment nommé par le
Vatican à la tête de l’archidiocèse de Bangui, a remis sa démission en tant que
coordonnateur de la Conférence politique nationale de la RCA, qui doit avoir
lieu du 10 au 25 septembre, selon Radio Centrafrique. "Je me suis senti
incapable de porter en même temps sur mes épaules la coordination du dialogue
national et [mes tâches à la tête de] l’archidiocèse de Bangui", a-t-il déclaré,
selon la radio.
L’annonce de sa démission faisait suite à un entretien qu’il a eu, le 22 août,
avec le chef de l’État centrafricain, François Bozizé. Mgr Pomodimo a expliqué
qu’il avait remis sa démission à Nicholas Tiangaye, président du Conseil
national de transition, principal organe consultatif du pays pour les questions
législatives.
Mgr Pomodimo, âgé de 51 ans, assurait la coordination du dialogue national
depuis novembre 2002, alors que l’ex-président Ange-Félix Patassé l’avait
désigné, de même que Henri Maidou, pour diriger les préparatifs de ces
pourparlers visant alors à mettre fin à la rébellion de M. Bozizé. Après une
guerre de six mois qui a ravagé le Nord du pays, M. Bozizé a renversé M. Patassé
le 15 mars dernier. Même s’il avait maintenu Mgr Pomodimo à la tête de ces
pourparlers nationaux, M. Bozizé avait déclaré que des modifications seraient
apportées à leur ordre du jour.
M. Bozizé a désigné mardi une nouvelle équipe de onze membres pour coordonner la conférence nationale, qui doit s’ouvrir en septembre et dont le but est de susciter une réconciliation nationale. Citant un arrêté présidentiel, Radio Centrafrique a annoncé que le pasteur Isaac Zokoué, assisté par le révérend Josué Binoua, dirigerait l’équipe de coordination, remplaçant ainsi Mgr Pomodimo et M. Maidou.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Archbishop resigns as coordinator of national political talks
BANGUI, 25 Aug 2003 (IRIN)
- Archbishop Paulin Pomodimo, recently appointed by the Vatican to head the
archdiocese of Bangui, has resigned as coordinator of the Central African
Republic’s national political conference due to run from 10-25 September,
state-owned Radio Centrafrique reported on Friday.
"I felt incapable of bearing on my shoulders both the coordination of the
national dialogue and [my duties as head of] the archdiocese of Bangui," he was
quoted as saying.
His announcement followed a meeting on Friday with CAR head of state Francois
Bozize. Pomodimo said he handed his resignation to Nicholas Tiangaye, Speaker of
the National Transitional Council, the country’s law advisory.
Pomodimo, 51, had been heading the dialogue coordination since November 2002,
when former President Ange-Felix Patasse appointed him and Henri Maidou to
prepare for the talks, aiming at ending Bozize’s rebellion. After a six-month
war that ravaged the north, Bozize overthrew Patasse on 15 March.
Although he kept Pomodimo as the head of the national talks, Bozize said there
would be changes to the agenda. On 11 August, the NTC disqualified Patasse, now
exiled in Togo, from the talks. The council also proposed a coordination team
composed of one coordinator, the deputy, three representatives of the executive
and three of the NTC.
The NTC recommended Patasse’s exclusion just days after Pomodimo had said on
Radio France International that in order to achieve true national reconciliation
Patasse should take part in the talks. Pomodimo, who chairs the CAR Roman
Catholic Episcopal Conference, is one of the three representatives of religious
communities to the NTC.
Bozize must now appoint a new head of coordination team as Maidou, too, has been
appointed presidential adviser, a position which the NTC says is incompatible
with the role as coordinator of the national talks.
Bozize names team to lead
national conference
BANGUI, 27 Aug 2003 (IRIN) - Central African Republic leader Francois
Bozize has appointed a new 11-member team to coordinate a national conference,
due to begin in September, aimed at reconciling the nation after months of war.
Citing a presidential decree signed on Tuesday, state-controlled Radio
Centrafrique reported that Rev Isaac Zokoe, assisted by Rev Josue Binoua, would
head the coordination team. They replace Roman Catholic Archbishop Paulin
Pomodimo, who resigned on Friday, and his deputy Henri Maidou who Bozize has
appointed as his special adviser.
Former President Ange-Felix Patasse appointed Pomodimo and Maidou in November
2002, when Patasse first announced plans for the national conference in a bid to
end Bozize's six-month rebellion. Bozize overthrew Patasse on 15 March.
The new coordination team, whose task is to "prepare, organise and supervise"
the national dialogue, comprises government representatives Col Paul Djimassi
and Mathurin Bengue Bossi; those of the National Transitional Council, notably
former Prime Minister and Chairman of the Parti Social Democrate Enock Derant
Lakoe and former Mines Minister and Chairman of Forum pour la Democratie et la
Modernité Charles Massi; as well as reporters and treasurers. Women appointed to
the team include Catherine Samba Panza as second deputy coordinator, Marie
Noelle Koyama as deputy reporter, and Simone Bodemo as treasurer.
These nominations came a week after the transitional council recommended the
formation of a new coordination team and a 72-member body to prepare the talks.
Instead, Bozize has given that task to the coordination team and a 40-member
body that includes delegates from all the country's social, political,
professional and religious affiliations.
Divided into commissions on truth and reconciliation; political and diplomatic
issues; defence and security; economy and finances; educational, social and
cultural matters; and
logistics, the team is expected to have completed its work on 10 September.
Bozize has fixed the talks for 11-20 September.
The preparatory team is mandated to designate at most 350 participants to the
dialogue and to invite at most 30 foreign guests.