From Defense Technology News:December 17, 2008: Representatives of most political or armed groups in the country have been meeting in the capital since December 8th, for two weeks to negotiations to try and work out a peace deal. So far, so good, and there is some optimism that some kind of useful deal will be agreed to by the end of the negotiations on the 20th. But no final and complete deal is expected. There are simply too many groups with too many conflicting goals.
"Spillover warfare" from Sudan and Chad continues to plague the Central African Republic (CAR). The government claims that the Popular Army for the Restoration of the Republic and Democracy (APRD), which has bases in the country's northern areas near Chad, intends to topple President Francois Bozize, and is responsible for many attacks on towns and villages along the Chad-CAR border. The APRD, which had agreed to a ceasefire deal in June 2008, denied the accusation. The APRD and the government have been at odds over "the amnesty agreement" that was supposed to solidify the ceasefire and become the global peace accord" (yes, that's the name the government used to describe the initial deal). The ceasefire was supposed to give the CAR rebels political and criminal amnesty-- of some type. Negotiations on the details broke down in August 2008.
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My Comment: Another African failed state.