With our correspondent in Bangui, Florence Morice

Unsurprisingly, it is the rebel coalition CPC that reacted first to contest the authenticity of this document, an authenticity nonetheless confirmed on Monday by Ali Darassa's spokesman. Some within the CPC evoke a "manipulation by the authorities" to try to rally other armed groups to the Khartoum agreement. Others say they are surprised.

"It is a non-event" according to Aboubacar Siddick, one of the CPC's spokespeople. For him, in any case "the rebellion will continue with or without certain entities". Behind these sharp and sometimes contradictory reactions, a certain unease is being expressed.

According to our information, Ali Darassa's statement has indeed caused ripples within the coalition and within his own armed group. On the authorities' side, people say they are "taking a certain caution" and do not see the urgency to react "given the previous about-faces of certain armed groups", a source within the government confides.

The government spokesman simply reiterates Bangui's position to him. "We do not intend to negotiate with armed groups that have left the agreement. They must answer for their actions before justice", affirms Ange-Maxime Kazagui.

As for those who might eventually commit to returning to the agreement: "For us the question does not yet arise", the spokesman estimates, specifying that in any case "there will be no more discussions with foreigners heading armed groups, which includes Ali Darassa".

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