A peace deal has been reached between the government of the Central African Republic and 14 armed groups after their first-ever direct dialogue aimed at ending years of conflict, the United Nations and African Union announced on Saturday. Details of the deal were not immediately available. “I am determined to work with the president and his government to address the concerns of our brothers who took up arms,” said Firmin Ngrebada, the cabinet director of the Central African Republic, according to the United Nations. The agreement represents rare hope for the impoverished, landlocked nation where religious and communal fighting has been ongoing since 2013. Thousands of people have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced in a conflict that has sent at least two people to the International Criminal Court.

Source: New York Times February 02, 2019 17:26 UTC