HispanicBusiness

The government of the Central African Republic lost the town of Kaga Bandoro to northern rebels on Tuesday, the latest in a series taken by them in the past weeks, according to the military.

The rebels entered the town after the army abandoned positions under heavy fire, the military said in a statement.

The country is facing the biggest challenge to its security since forming a government in January 2009 after an inclusive political dialogue in the capital Bangui.

The weeks-old Seleka rebel coalition seems to be gaining momentum in its advances, threatening all the peace accords signed in the past years.

Last week, the government rejected the charges by Seleka rebels that it failed to respect the Libreville Global Peace Agreements signed between 2006 and 2007.

The Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC) held a summit last week in the Chadian capital N'Djamena, urging the belligerent parties in the Central African Republic to immediately cease hostilities and open talks on a solution.

CEEAC leaders demanded the Seleka coalition withdraw from the towns they had seized within a week.

They also indicated that an interposition force of the Mission for Peace Consolidation in the Central African Republic and the Chadian army would be urgently deployed in the northern part of the country.

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