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| Central African Republic: Rebels 'at president's palace' | Central African Republic: Rebels 'at president's palace' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Fighting has broken out again in the Central African Republic's capital, with unconfirmed reports suggesting rebels have taken the vacated palace of President Francois Bozize. | |
| After an overnight lull, gunfire and explosions were reported on Sunday. | After an overnight lull, gunfire and explosions were reported on Sunday. |
| Seleka rebels claimed to have seized the president's palace, AFP reported. | Seleka rebels claimed to have seized the president's palace, AFP reported. |
| The fighters, who have been involved in an on-off rebellion since December, accuse the president of failing to honour a peace deal. | The fighters, who have been involved in an on-off rebellion since December, accuse the president of failing to honour a peace deal. |
| One of the rebel leaders on the ground, Colonel Djouma Narkoyo, was quoted by AFP as saying: "We have taken the presidential palace. Bozize was not there." | |
| He said the rebels were planning to move on to the national radio station in Bangui where rebel leader Michel Djotodia planned to make a speech. | |
| A worker at a hotel near the presidential palace was quoted by Reuters as saying: "The [rebels] are in the city centre now where the presidential palace is... There's a lot of gunfire around the palace and even here where we are." | |
| Former colonial power France has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, and reportedly sent troops to secure the airport. | |
| On Saturday, French officials warned their nationals in the country to stay at home. | |
| Mineral resources | |
| The rebels joined a power-sharing government in January after talks brokered by regional leaders to end a rebellion they launched last year. | |
| But the deal quickly collapsed, with the rebels saying their demands, including the release of political prisoners, had not been met. | |
| BBC Africa editor Richard Hamilton says government soldiers have been unable to fend off the rebels because Mr Bozize fears being overthrown in a coup and is therefore wary of having a strong army. | |
| He came to power himself in a military coup in 2003. | |
| CAR has been hit by a series of rebellions since independence from France in 1960. | |
| It is one of the poorest countries in Africa, despite its considerable mineral resources. |