There has been some criticism in the Central African Republic of a ban on misogynistic songs which came into force over the weekend. Communication Minister Fidel Ngouandjika threatened action against the broadcasting of songs that portrayed women as inferior to men. He said they undermined the role of women and contravened their rights. Women only got the vote in the former French colony 20 years ago and men are allowed to marry up to four wives. The BBC's Joseph Benamse in Bangui says the minister has been condemned by many for acting beyond his authority.

Most of the 200,000 people internally displaced by the fighting which culminated in the coup d’état of March 2003 have reportedly returned to their homes or integrated with the resident population in the capital Bangui. Following the coup, the self-appointed President François Bozizé abolished the constitution and formed a new transitional government which organised the first and second round of legislative and presidential elections in March and May 2005.

Reporters without Borders (RSF) has hailed a 30 September 2004 announcement by the Central African Republic Association of Private and Independent Newspaper Publishers (Groupement des éditeurs de la presse privée indépendante de Centrafrique, GEPPIC) saying it will no longer publish newspapers on Fridays, beginning 1 October, until President François Bozizé's government keeps a promise to decriminalise press offences.

The government of the Central African Republic (CAR) has launched a "2004-2015 Operational Plan" to reduce maternal and infant mortality. By improving access to health care and providing social support networks, the plan will attempt to reduce the infant mortality rate of children aged less than five years by two-thirds by 2015. In addition, CAR hopes to reduce maternal mortality to one-quarter of its present level within the same time frame.

The Central African Republic became the 100th Member State to sign the United Nations Convention against Corruption. The new international treaty - worked out through a two-year negotiating process supported by the Vienna-based United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) - was adopted by the General Assembly in October 2003. At a special signing conference held in Mérida, Mexico, last December, 95 countries signed the new Convention.

Bangui Public Prosecutor Firmin Seindiro is seeking an 18-month prison sentence against Jude Zossé, director of the private daily "L'Hirondelle" (The Swallow"). Zossé is charged with "insulting the head of state". The journalist, who has been detained since 25 February 2004, was not granted a provisional release. A verdict in the case is expected to be delivered on 12 March.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) will repatriate refugees from neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) using the Oubangui river which, besides serving as the border between the two countries, has been closed to human traffic since September, a senior UNHCR official said on Monday.

Newly appointed Central African Republic (CAR) Prime Minister Celestin Le Roi Gaoumbale has formed a new transitional government to replace the one of Abel Goumba who was dismissed last Thursday and has since been appointed Vice-President, the minister for communication and government spokesman, Parfait Mbay, announced on Friday on state-owned Radio Centrafrique. The new government comprises 28 ministers, including two women and six military officers.

After years of civil strife, the Central African Republic (CAR) has, since March 2003, lived through a period of relative calm. This has enabled the transitional government of Francois Bozize to plan a phased demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration (DDR) process targeting ex-rebel fighters and former government soldiers.

The government of the Central African Republic should appoint women to a male-only Ministry of Planning committee charged with vetting projects for submission to donors, a former government minister, Lucienne Goddot, said. "It is difficult to get a project presented by women's NGOs approved for funding [by the committee]," she told IRIN.

A committee set up by the government of the Central African Republic to oversee implementation of recommendations made at the end of a national reconciliation forum in mid-October has revised the country's transition calendar. A communique read on Sunday on state-owned Radio Centrafrique by the committee's chairperson, Catherine Samba-Panza, said the country's constitutional referendum would now be held in September 2004 instead of mid-2004.

The UN-NGO humanitarian coordination body in the Central African Republic (CAR) has set up a commission to identify all internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have fled war-ravaged parts of the country to Bangui, the capital, according to a local UN official.

Some residents recently uprooted from their homes by fighting between rebels and forces loyal to the government in the capital have started to return from village refuges along the 80-km road leading north to the town of Boali, an official of the UN Children's Fund told IRIN on Sunday.

I wonder how many people could name the capital of the Central African Republic? Or even locate it on a map. At the moment there is intense fighting going on there. This is the fifth day of fighting in the capital city of the CAR. The conflict centres on insurgents trying to oust the President, Ange Felix Patasse. These insurgents supposedly comprise the supporters of a former army chief, General Francois Bozize, who has just returned to France, says this commentary on the Dialogue Webpage for Conflicts Worldwide.

Medical technicians have identified the presence of hepatitis E in the northern suburbs of Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), after three months of uncertainty.

Fifty radio and television reporters are receiving training on HIV/AIDS and the techniques of educating the population in the Central African Republic (CAR).

Nearly one year after its imposition in the wake of
a failed coup that shook Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic
(CAR), a nationwide curfew was lifted on Thursday.

The Central African Republic is launching sweeping reforms to promote good governance, an important step towards reducing poverty and promoting sustainable development. The reforms include improving public services; promoting decentralization and local governance; enhancing economic policies; and setting up an effective, transparent judicial system that respects human rights. The other areas are: creating an enabling environment for private sector development, promoting civil society participation in public affairs, and strengthening operations of the National Assembly.

The case against those accused of involvement in the failed coup attempt of 28 May 2001 in the Central African Republic began on Friday in the capital, Bangui, before the criminal session of the Court of Appeals, news agencies reported.

The prime minister of the Central African Republic (CAR), Martin Ziguele, has launched a national disarmament and arms collection programme, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reported on Monday.