No policy change on CAR, says Zuma

South Africa's foreign policy on the Central African Republic remains unchanged, President Jacob Zuma said after hosting a high-level CAR delegation led by Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye in Pretoria yesterday.

Zuma said the meeting had helped to clarify a number of issues. He said interim CAR president and Seleka rebel leader Michel Djotodia had earlier indicated he wanted to send a delegation to South Africa.

"We are very happy with the message [brought by Tiangaye]. We have had a very good discussion with the prime minister. We think [the meeting] has helped to clarify certain things and also to deal with the relations between the two countries."

Zuma said South Africa recognised CAR's transitional government based on the January agreement signed in Libreville, Gabon.

Part of the transitional roadmap endorsed by the Economic Community of Central African States was the formation of a national transition council.

That council subsequently elected Djotodia as interim president of the country.

"Once the forces that were fighting president François Bozizé took over, the leader said the constitution was suspended, as well as parliament and the judiciary. That is the government we said we are not going to recognise, with everybody else," Zuma said.

"There was a regional meeting which changed the status of the authority. We did not say there was anyone who could not be elected to the transitional authority. The Libreville agreement, which is legal, is what is operating now."

Bozizé appointed Tiangaye prime minister following the Libreville ceasefire agreement.

He kept his job when the Seleka rebels made the final push for Bangui, forcing Bozizé into exile at the end of March.

Tiangaye is part of the transitional government meant to prepare for elections within 18 months.

Yesterday, Tiangaye said his trip sought to cement bilateral relations between South Africa and his country. H e offered condolences for the 13 South African soldiers who were killed by advancing rebels on March 23. "The message I brought is a message of calm and peace. We would like to take that unfortunate incident as a page of history that we will now turn to open a new one," he said .

Tiangaye said it was regrettable there had been "a personalised relationship" between South Africa and Bozizé.

"We regret that the past relations with the former president [Bozizé] were more personalised, and we are now aiming at improving these relations to be more at a state level," he said.

"It was not the fault of President Zuma or the government of South Africa. It was because Bozizé was hiding the nature of the relationship between the two countries."

He said his visit to Pretoria would mark the beginning of a new phase in the relationship.

"We are convinced we have now entered a new chapter and that the relationship will be more transparent to both countries. This is the message that I transmitted to President Zuma and the people of South Africa on behalf of the people of CAR," he said.