Firmin Ngrebada, the Prime Minister of the Central African Republic (CAR), says federal government forces and their allies have retaken Bossangoa town from rebels.

The PM in a Facebook post on Wednesday said that “order will be restored in Bossangoa and the entire Ouham Prefecture” and every other places taken by the rebels just before the presidential election on December 27, 2020.

Bossangoa, in northwest C.A.R is the stronghold of the former president, François Bozizé, who is accused of leading an uprising that has seized more than half the country.

Bozize, who was overthrown in an uprising in 2013 by mainly Muslim rebels, denies the accusation.

Recently, the Central African Republic Army (FACA) and their Russian and Rwandan allies have repelled the rebels and taken over many major cities.

On Tuesday, following a report of the defense ministry, the CAR government eased the curfew introduced in January because of the threat posed by the rebels.

The curfew now starts from 8 pm until 5 am, according to the new government order.

President Faustin Archange Touadera of the Central African Republic (CAR), has announced that the second round of voting for legislative elections in some constituencies will hold on March 14, 2021.

President Touadera, in a decree on Saturday, added that regions where the first round polls were disrupted by rebel violence and other factors will also vote on the same date.

The campaign for the first round will open on February 27 and the second round on March 6.

C.A.R held its parliamentary and presidential elections on December 27, 2020, with observers saying the vote was marred by intimidation in areas controlled by rebel groups.

On January 18, C.A.R’s Constitutional Court confirmed Touadera won his second term with 53.16 per cent of the December 27 balloting. The court also cancelled the first-round results in 13 out of 140 voting districts owing to irregularities.

There was no polling in about 50 other districts due to the security situation.

Only 22 deputies out of 140 won their seats outright in the first round, of whom just four are from Touadera’s party- the United Hearts Movement (UHM).

Lawmakers in the Democratic Republic of Congo have passed an historic no confidence vote on Prime Minister Sylvestre Ilunga Ilukamba, effectively removing him from power.

Embattled Ilukamba, who was not present in the chambers when the vote during a parliament plenary session in Kinshasa, has been given 24 hours to resign.

Ilukamba had refused to respond to the invitation of the provisional office of parliament, which he considers illegitimate under the constitution and internal regulations of parliament.

In a letter addressed to members of the provisional office of parliament and to deputies on Wednesday morning, Sylvestre Ilunga stressed that the proceedings against his government violated the country’s constitution and the rule of law.

The lawmakers accused Ilukamba, an ally of former President Joseph Kabila, and his ministers of poor performance.

The collapse of the government paves the way for President Félix Tshisekedi to appoint loyalists as ministers.

Last month, Mr Tshisekedi ended a coalition formed with his predecessor, whose allies dominated key ministries.

Since then, Mr Tshisekedi has been persuading MPs to defect from Mr Kabila’s alliance, which previously held the majority in parliament, stalling the president’s reform programme.

The prime minister’s impeachment garnered a large majority of votes in the absence of MPs loyal to ex-President Joseph Kabila who decided not to take part in the vote.

This will be the first time in DR Congo’s 60-year history that a government has been forced to resign.