BANGUI, Central African Republic, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Troops from Chad and the Central African Republic have been dispatched to reclaim a CAR diamond mining town from anti-government rebels.
Bria, a small but crucial mining village, was overtaken by rebels who said CAR President Francois Bozize failed to comply with terms of a 2007 peace treaty, the BBC said Wednesday.
The Central African Republic has experienced a number of coups and civil wars since gaining independence in 1960. Neighboring Chad has intervened in several of the conflicts.
The rebels said Bozize reneged on an agreement to pay them to lay down their arms and join the government army. Many of the rebels have deserted the army since the 2007 accord and are again fighting pro-government forces, the BBC said.
The Central African Republic has rich diamond and gold fields, but the population working the mines remains extremely poor.
