The United Nations held out hope for a negotiated end to a standoff between rebel soldiers and presidential guards in the Central African Republic as the two sides lobbed mortar bombs across the capital.
Bangui plunged into chaos at the weekend after an apparent bid by President Ange-Felix Patasse's guard to arrest the country's sacked army chief, General Francois Bozize, who is now holed up at a barracks in a northern suburb. Bozize's forces control part of northern Bangui and U.N.-brokered talks between the two camps have so far failed to end the crisis which comes five months after nearly 60 people were killed in a failed coup attempt.
However UN representative General Lamine Cisse told media persons late on Tuesday that progress was made in three hours of talks during the day and he believed a negotiated settlement could still be reached.
"There haven't been any full-blown confrontations yet," Cisse said by telephone. "And the way the negotiations are going leads one to believe we are going to be spared."
Cisse said Bozize had promised to lift blockades on the main road north out of Bangui Wednesday and that discussions were proceeding well, even though the issue of the general's personal security remained to be resolved.


Sporadic gunshots were heard after a 9 p.m. curfew but the artillery fire which rained on rebel positions in the north of the city died down after dark.
Residents in Boye Rabe, a district seen as strongly loyal to Bozize, said they came under bombardment at 5:30 p.m. after a plane flew over. While the projectiles appeared aimed at rebel troop positions, many fell on homes. Bureau Report