Soldiers lynch man at army ceremony in Central African Republic

A man pushes a Gendarmerie officer (C) away from an angry crowd, moments before he manages to escape in the back of a vehicle after being accused of being a supporter of the ousted Seleka fighters, in the capital Bangui February 5, 2014. REUTERS/Siegfried Modola

BANGUI (Reuters) - A group of soldiers in Central African Republic's capital lynched a man on Wednesday whom they suspected of having been a rebel, minutes after hearing the new president promise to restore security at a ceremony to reinstate the divided country's armed forces.

Meanwhile Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned that rebels who have fled the capital Bangui in recent weeks are regrouping in the country's northwest where they have launched renewed attacks against civilians.