Central African govt forces retake key town from rebels

BANGUI, Central African Republic: Forces loyal to the Central African Republic government have retaken a key town from rebels, the country’s prime minister said on Wednesday.

Bossembele, around 150 kilometres (95 miles) northwest of the capital Bangui on a vital road artery, had been retaken on Tuesday by "elements of our armed forces and the allies", Firmin Ngrebada wrote on Twitter. By "allies", the CAR government usually refers to Rwandan troops and Russian paramilitaries.

Bossembele was one of the jumping-off points for armed rebel groups in an offensive launched against the capital in December, as they banded together under the name Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC) to try and prevent the re-election of President Faustin Archange Touadera.