Central Africa Rebels halt advance

Central African RepublicRebels Halt Advance By REUTERS Published: January 02, 2013 BANGUI (Reuters) - Rebels in Central African Republic said they had halted their advance on the capital on Wednesday and agreed to start peace talks, averting aclash with regionally backed troops in the mineral-rich nation. The Seleka rebels had pushed within striking distance of Bangui after a three-week onslaught and threatened to oust PresidentFrancois Bozize, accusing him of reneging on a previous peace deal and cracking down on dissidents. Their announcement on Wednesday only gave the leader a limited reprieve as the fighters told Reuters they might insist on his removal in the negotiations.