Bozize (right) took power from Patasse (left)
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General Francois Bozize has been recognised as the head of the Central African Republic by the leaders of neighbouring countries.
Mr Bozize seized power on 15 March while President Ange-Felix Patasse was out of the country.
The African Union has said that it will no longer accept military coups and those who seize power will not be invited to its meetings.
However, Mr Bozize was officially invited to the summit of the Central African Economic and Monetary Union (Cemac) meeting in Gabon, which ended on Tuesday.
Regional aid
"The heads of state... have decided to officially recognise the new authorities in the CAR," the group said in a statement following the summit.
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CEMAC MEMBERS
Cameroon
CAR
Chad
Congo
Equatorial Guinea
Gabon
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They also urged the African Union to accept Mr Bozize as CAR's leader, saying he had promised to hold elections by January 2005 and had paid civil servants' salaries.
Cemac also granted aid worth 5 billion CFA francs ($9m) to the CAR and decided to strengthen its peacekeeping force there.
Mr Patasse, who was elected in 1993, had weathered numerous previous coup attempts.
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