The president of the Central African Republic has appointed opposition lawyer Nicolas Tiangaye as prime minister, as part of a deal to end a recent rebellion.

President Francois Bozize made the announcement on state radio Thursday, after a meeting with members of the Seleka rebel alliance and opposition parties.

The government and rebels reached a peace agreement in Gabon last week. The rebels had seized about one-third of the C.A.R's territory during an offensive that began December 10th.

Under the peace deal, Mr. Bozize promises to form a unity government with an opposition-approved prime minister.

As part of the agreement, neither the prime minister nor Mr. Bozize are eligible to run in the next presidential election in 2016.

Mr. Tiangaye has served as president of the Central African Human Rights League and is one of the main drafters of the C.A.R.'s current constitution. He also presided over the national transition council following the 2003 coup that brought Mr. Bozize to power.

Mr. Tiangaye will replace Faustin Archange Touadera who spent five years in the post.

Mr. Bozize has faced multiple rebellions since coming to power. Seleka accused the president of failing to implement peace deals that ended previous uprisings.