Rebel leader Gen. Francois Bozize declared himself president, dissolved the legislature and suspended the constitution Sunday after his rebels captured the country's capital, Bangui, while President Ange-Felix Patasse was out of the country.

Meanwhile, the United Nations and the African Union strongly condemned the takeover.

A statement from UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan called for "the speedy restoration of the constitutional order and for the respect and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms."

Patasse remained Monday at a hotel in Yaounde, Cameroon under tight security. He has not spoken publicly since the attack.

Meanwhile, officials at the Bangui airport said a French military plane had evacuated at least 60 French nationals from the country, while a French Defense Ministry spokesman said in Paris that as many as 130 people may have left.

It was unclear how much fighting between rebels and government soldiers occurred.

Republic of Congo officials said three of their soldiers, who were participating in a 300-strong African security force, were killed. An Associated Press reporter saw another 12 bodies at a morgue and workers said all were shot during the uprising.

Another body was on a main street and witnesses said rebels had shot him for looting.

Many capital residents timidly ventured out into the empty streets Monday to survey the damage from the siege, which was followed by widespread looting.

One man, who gave his name as Marie-Joseph, peered into the supermarket where he worked -- its windows shattered and aisles littered with smashed stereos.

"The country needs change, it's true," he said. "But this change has come with unemployment for me."

Bozize promised a "quick reconstruction" of one of the world's poorest nations and elections but did not specify when.

In the meantime, he was replacing the country's National Assembly with a "transitional national council" drawn from political parties, former heads of state and others.

Patasse, elected in 1993 and re-elected in 1999, has been accused by opponents of rampant corruption.

Central African Republic -- a country of about 3.6 million people rich in gold, diamond and uranium -- has been wracked by military revolts and other uprisings since gaining independence from France in 1960.

(China Daily March 18, 2003)