As political tension and violence rise ahead of the general elections slated for December 27 in the Central African Republic’s (CAR), the Government on Saturday accused its former President, Francois Bozize, of plotting a coup on Bangui, the nation’s capital.

Russia and Rwanda also sent troops in support after a coup attempt ahead of this week’s presidential and parliamentary polls.

"Russia has sent several hundred soldiers and heavy weapons" in the framework of a bilateral cooperation agreement, Government spokesman, Ange Maxime Kazagui said.

The Government claimed that Bozize plotted with members of his family and a number of armed groups to attack two towns near Bangui after the country's top court rejected his candidacy.

The CAR Government spokesperson, Ange Maxime Kazagui, said on National TV, that Bozize mobilized men in the outskirts of Bossembele and planned to march to Bangui.

"It is manifestly an attempted coup,” he said.

The increased tension has prompted the intervention of the United Nations peacekeeping mission and Russia to deploy troops to disperse armed rebel groups that had seized several towns close to Bangui, ambushed Government officials, and also looted properties.

The mission, known as MINUSCA, said in a statement late on Friday that it had placed troops in the capital and other regions on high alert to protect civilians and secure the legislative and presidential elections is violence-free.

The U.N. mission said the rebel groups, some of whom had fought against one another in the civil war, had occupied two communities in Bangui.

Also, in a separate statement on Friday, U.N. Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, condemned the rebel attack, disinformation, hate speech, and incitement to violence.

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Opposition parties including that of Bozize have called for the polls to be postponed until the Government ensures there would be peace and security.

President Faustin-Archange Touadera, who is seeking re-election in the polls, has however noted that the presence of the army and UN peacekeepers means people have nothing to fear.

It is pertinent to mention that the former President on Saturday responded to the accusation in a statement by his spokesperson, Christian Guenebem.

He said; "We categorically deny that Bozizé is at the origin of anything.”

François Bozizé was the President of the Central African Republic from 2003 to 2013. Bozizé rose to become a high-ranking army officer in the 1970s, under the regime of Jean-Bédel Bokassa.

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