President Faustin Archange Touadéra announced the agreement with the armed groups on Friday, saying he hoped it would lead to dialogue and greater protection of civilians, media reported.

The Secretary-General welcomed this development, calling it a “critical step” in line with a roadmap for peace adopted in September by the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, an intergovernmental organization of 12 African countries.

Some leaders of the main rebel alliance, the CCP, have reportedly welcomed the ceasefire.

CAR has faced cycles of rebel violence since the 2013 ousting of former leader François Bozize, and despite the signing of an agreement between the government and 14 armed groups two years ago.

A UN mission, known by the French acronym MINUSCA, has been present in the country since 2014 with a mandate to protect civilians and support peace processes.

Respect the ceasefire

“The Secretary-General calls on all other parties to respect this ceasefire immediately and to redouble their efforts to advance the implementation of the 2019 Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation,” the statement said.

He further called on the parties to engage constructively in an inclusive political dialogue.

The UN chief reiterated his commitment to continue to mobilize international support for the government and people of CAR as they pursue peace, reconciliation and development.