By Paul-Marin Ngoupana BANGUI, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Central African Republic has named a largely unchanged government, drawing criticism from opposition and rebel leaders who had hoped for greater political participation after December peace talks. Critics of the new line-up said it broke the agreement reached at the U.N.-backed talks on ending years of conflict in the country of more than 4 million, one of the world's poorest despite reserves of uranium and diamonds. Most ministers of state were reappointed. While several less senior ministers were reshuffled, many had served in the previous administration. "This makes a mockery of the spirit of the recommendations of the political dialogue," said Henri Pouzere, who represents a coalition of opposition and civil society groups known by its local acronym UFVN. "The idea of a consensus for the formation of the government has not been respected, and for that reason we are abstaining from this government," Pouzere said. Jean Francis Bozize, son of President Francois Bozize, kept his job as defence minister, one of the most powerful roles in government. Of 32 posts, only two were filled by former rebels -- the ministries of environment and housing. "It's not enough, we had wanted to have more," said Jean-Jacques Larmassoum, a leader of northwestern rebel group the Popular Army for the Restoration of the Republic and Democracy (APRD), which was given the environment portfolio. "Because we are working towards peace, all we can do is accept it to see what happens next," he said. POPULAR PM President Bozize dissolved the government on Sunday and a day later reappointed Prime Minister Faustin Archange Touadera, who took office in January 2008. That move was welcomed by many. "Salaries of civil servants are being paid, life is getting back to normal and we've started travelling freely with our goods," said farmer Bernard Yengue. "Why change someone who's doing well?" At the time of the December talks, analysts hailed the political agreement as a potential success story for the international community in a region where other peace initiatives have met with failure. Troubles in the former French colony have been overshadowed by violence in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan's Darfur. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by bush rebellions. The country, ruled by Bozize since he took power in a 2003 coup, also risks being dragged into wider conflict by Ugandan rebels fleeing an offensive against their bases in northeastern Congo. As well as a consensus government to rule until scheduled presidential elections in 2010, the December political pact recommended the start of demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration for rebels. French nuclear firm Areva has assets in Central African Republic. (Writing by Daniel Magnowski; Editing by Matthew Tostevin)
A communications room, damaged after an attack by Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels, is seen at the Nagero airstrip in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo January 6, 2009. Hundreds of ...
