U.S. suspendsembassy in Central AfricanRepublic
美国国务院发言人帕特里克·文特雷尔27日发表声明说，由于安全原因，美国驻中非共和国大使馆从28日开始暂时关闭。
声明说，美国驻中非共和国大使和他的外交团队已经离开首都班吉。大使馆也已暂停为美国公民提供领事服务。
文特雷尔强调，作出这一决定的原因仅仅是出于对美方人员安全的担忧，美国并未中断和中非共和国的外交关系。
中非共和国是世界最不发达国家之一，政局长期动荡，曾发生多次兵变和政变。2008年12月，中非举行了全国包容性政治对话，就政治和解、解武复员和经济重建等达成共识，但北部地区一直有反叛组织活动。今年12月10日以来，武装分子陆续攻占6个主要城镇，日渐逼近首都班吉。
The United States on Thursday suspended the operations of its embassy in the Central AfricanRepublic (CAR) due to security concerns, said the State Department.
U.S. Ambassador Lawrence D. Wohlers and the rest of the diplomatic stuff left the capital city ofBangui earlier in the day along with several private U.S. citizens, said Patrick Ventrell, actingdeputy spokesperson of the State Department.
"The decision is solely due to concerns about the security of our personnel and has no relation toour continuing and long-standing diplomatic relations with the CAR," said Ventrell.
As rebels move swiftly in its southward push and are about to approach Bangui, the resource-richbut impoverished country is facing the biggest security challenge since forming a government inJanuary 2009 after an inclusive political dialogue.
A UN mission has been working in the country to help the government overcome more than adecade of strife. UN chief Ban Ki-moon has recently condemned the rebel attacks.
In the statement, Ventrell also urged all parties in the country to participate in the dialoguesponsored by the Economic Community of Central African States in order to forge acomprehensive peace agreement.
On Wednesday, hundreds of protesters gathered around the French embassy to vent anger atthe lack of support by the former colonial power in fighting the advancing "SELEKA" rebel coalition.
The protest came one day after the government lost the central town of Kaga Bandoro tonorthern rebels, the latest in a series taken by Seleka fighters in the past weeks.
The loss of Kaga Bandoro exposed Bangui closer to rebels, who had previously captured suchtowns as Ndele and Bria, without much resistance from ill-equipped government forces.
（责任编辑:admin）
