CAR Leader Pledges to Create Inclusive Gov't After Peace Deal With Armed Groups

KHARTOUM, Sudan (Sputnik) - President of the Central African Republic Faustin-Archange Touadera takes on the obligation to create an inclusive government immediately after signing a peace agreement with armed groups, according to the text of the accord seen by Sputnik on 24 February.

"The president of the republic, the head of state, is committed to creating an inclusive government immediately after the signing of this agreement", Article 21 of the agreement says.

The statement comes after Touadera and leaders of 14 armed groups signed on February 5 the peace deal, aimed at putting an end to the long-term conflict in the country. This was the result of almost two weeks of talks in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum.

On 5 February, CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadera and leaders of 14 armed groups initiated the peace agreement at talks in Khartoum. A day later, the deal was finalised and inked in the CAR capital of Bangui by the participants in the talks.

READ MORE: CAR Peace Deal Reached in Khartoum Signed in Bangui by All Sides — Commissioner

The CAR ministry for communications and media announced on 7 February that the peace agreement reached between the CAR authorities and armed groups would be unveiled at the AU summit in Addis Ababa after being appended by the missing signatures of several parties involved.

The Central African Republic has been suffering from a drawn-out conflict since a coup in 2013. Much of the fighting in recent years has been between Muslim-majority Seleka and Christian Anti-Balaka militias.