Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadera declared a unilateral cessation of fighting against armed groups, saying he hoped it would lead to peaceful dialogue.
The country has seen recurrent rounds of rebel violence since former president Francois Bozize was ousted in 2013. The spokesman for the main rebel alliance, the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC), told Reuters he welcomed the initiative and the CPC would respect the ceasefire if the government did. Past peace accords have quickly fallen apart.
Touadera announced he would hold a national dialogue with his opponents shortly after being sworn in, but the talks have not yet materialized.
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