The fall and escape of President Bozizé

President François Bozizé flies to Pretoria to seek an urgent meeting with President Jacob Zuma about the deteriorating situation in the Central African Republic where about 330 South African troops are stationed. SA soldiers in their base 15km outside Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, hear shots being fired. They take up stand-by positions all night. The base is the size of two football fields.

— Reports are received of Seleka rebels, armed with AK47s and pangas, moving on the capital. The Seleka coalition advance comes in the wake of the collapse of a two-month-old peace deal with the regime of President François Bozizé.

— South African base comes under attack from between 1 000 and 3 000 rebels. SA troops use rifles, mortars, machine-guns and RPGs to fight off the waves of attacks. First attack lasts three hours and three SA soldiers shot.

Rebels renew their attack, getting to within 50m of the South African lines. SA troops kill “about 100 ” but suffer casualties of their own.

SA troops start running out of ammunition, but rebels surrender. SA roll call reveals that 13 soldiers have been killed. Many are wounded and one is missing. SA troops withdraw to the Bangui airport and evacuation of the dead and wounded begins. Rebels say they have seized the presidential palace in an assault on the capital Bangui. Bozizé flees. Zuma confirms the 13 deaths and praises the soldiers for fighting a “high-tempo battle for nine hours defending the South African military base, until the bandits raised a white flag and asked for a ceasefire ”. He also announces SA soldiers “inflicted heavy casualties among the attacking bandit forces ”. Bozizé takes refuge in Cameroon and rebel leader Michel Djotodia suspends the constitution, dissolves parliament and the government, declares transitional rule and says he will rule by decree until elections are organised in three years. Looters go on the rampage in Bangui, while Bozizé ’ s family arrives in Kinshasa, a day after travelling to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Bozizé seeks asylum in Benin. CAR army chiefs pledge allegiance to Djotodia. Djotodia announces that he will revise mining contracts signed with South African and Chinese companies.