Soldiers Reject Offer Of Amnesty

Rebellious soldiers in the Central African Republic have rejected an offer of amnesty, undermining the president’s attempt to bring peace to a country that has seen two army uprisings in less than a year.

President Ange-Felix Patasse signed the amnesty law Saturday. Soldiers who participated in an uprising that began in November and lasted until the end of January will not face prosecution if they lay down their arms.

But in an interview Saturday night, rebel spokesman Lt. Parfait M’Bay was defiant, saying the rebels “still have enough materials to fight and are ready to confront either the peacekeeping force or the French troops stationed in the capital.”

France has about 1,300 soldiers in its former colony and was instrumental in crushing the latest rebellion.