UN offices, homes looted in Bangui

The offices of the United Nations and the homes of staff were looted today in Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, in the wake of the rebels take of the capital.

A spokesman of the UN, Martin Nesirky disclosed the development today in New York, despite pleas, notably by the US on the rebels to maintain law and order in the country.

The gunfire and pillaging continued as the UN Security Council was set to discuss the crisis later in the day, said Nesirky.

“It seems from our assessment so far that there is still some gunfire and that there is still some looting in Bangui,” Nesirky told reporters.

“Several United Nations offices and residences of staff members, both national and international, have been looted,” he added.

The 15-nation Security Council is expected to release a statement calling for a return to constitutional order after President Francois Bozize fled the rebel advance on Sunday.

“There is a new president, self-proclaimed in a totally unconstitutional way and the question we are all asking is how to come back to a constitutional situation, how to have elections as quickly as possible,” France’s UN ambassador Gerard Araud told reporters as he announced the meeting.

“In the coming days we are going to see what we can do to convince the new president to organize elections,” Araud added.

Seleka rebel coalition chief Michel Djotodia has named himself the new leader of the Central African Republic. He told Radio France Internationale that he planned to hold “free and transparent” elections within three years.

France, the United States and UN chief Ban Ki-moon have called on the rebels to respect a January 11 peace accord that set up a national unity government. So far the prime minister, Nicolas Tiangaye, has been kept in place.