By Paul-Marin Ngoupana

BANGUI, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Central African Republic President Francois Bozize named a new government on Monday, keeping the key defence ministry post for himself and bringing his son into an otherwise largely unchanged cabinet.

The line-up was announced a week after Bozize appointed maths professor and Bangui university rector Faustin Archange Touadera to head the government, replacing Elie Dote who resigned earlier this month in the midst of a general strike.

The strike called by unions over unpaid civil servants' salaries is continuing and poses a challenge to Bozize, who has ruled the poor, landlocked former French colony since 2003 when he seized power in a coup. He won elections two years later.

The stoppage has closed schools and disrupted some services, but the president has warned the unions he will use the security services to counter street protests, any attempts to completely paralyse the country or to topple him.

In the cabinet named by presidential decree on Monday, Bozize retained the defence ministry post and brought in his son Francis as his deputy at the defence ministry.

Interior and Public Security Minister Raymond Ndougou also kept his post, as did several other government stalwarts like Minister of State for Transport Parfait Anicet Mbay and Posts and Telecommunications Minister Fidele Gouandjika.

Bozize also kept on Minister of State for Economy and International Cooperation Sylvain Maliko, Mines and Energy Minister Sylvain Ndoutigai and Finance and Budget Minister Emmanuel Bizot.

Newcomers to the cabinet included Dieudonne Yaya Kombo, who was made foreign minister.

Bozize's sister, Yvone M'Boissona, the outgoing tourism minister, was made minister of water, forests, hunting and fisheries. Presidential spokesman Cyriaque Gonda was promoted to Communications Minister.

The new government was named only weeks before Central African Republic is due to receive European Union peacekeepers who are to deploy in its northeast corner to protect civilians from violence spilling over from Sudan's Darfur region.

Central African Republic is already facing a humanitarian emergency in its northwest and northeast, where raids by several armed groups and counter-attacks by government soldiers have driven nearly 300,000 people from their homes since 2006.

Bozize signed peace pacts with two rebel groups last year and has been promoting an all-inclusive political dialogue aimed at trying to pacify the country. (Writing by Pascal Fletcher; Editing by Jon Boyle)

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