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Central African Republic chooses capital's mayor as president

19 January 2014 22:47 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Central African Republic lawmakers chose their capital's mayor, Catherine Samba-Panza, to become interim president on Monday and lead the country out of months of sectarian killings towards elections, APA reports quoting Reuters.

Samba-Panza called on mainly Muslim former rebels and the Christian militia battling them to lay down their weapons as people sang and danced on the streets of the riverside city, Bangui, in celebration.

The 59-year old succeeds Michel Djotodia, leader of a mostly Muslim rebel coalition, Seleka, that seized power in March. He stepped down this month under international pressure after failing to halt bloodshed that erupted after the revolt.

Waves of killing and looting by Seleka fighters triggered revenge attacks by Christian militia known as 'anti-balaka', fuelling unprecedented cycles of violence between communities that had previously lived side-by-side.

"I am the president of all Central Africans, without exception," said Samba-Panza, who had to show she had no link to either camp in the fighting to qualify for the post.

"I appeal to my anti-balaka and Seleka children to listen to me and together lay down your weapons," added the Chad-born who moved to Central African Republic when she was 18.

Central African Republic has seen little but sporadic rebellion and instability since independence from France in 1960.

But the scale of the latest crisis has been unparalleled. Nearly a quarter of the country's population has fled and a senior U.N. official warned last week the conflict could slip into genocide.

Samba-Panza defeated seven other candidates in Monday's contest, winning a second-round runoff by 75 votes to 53 for her closest rival Desire Kolingba, the son of former president Andre Kolingba.