UN / CAR

United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Chief Hervé Ladsous said despite much progress in the Ceneral African Republic (CAR), the country faces considerable challenges including a security climate that “remains fragile and reversible.” UNIFEED-UNTV

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:03:00
• Production Date: 8 July 2016
• Asset Language: English; French
• Personal Subject: HERVÉ LADSOUS
• Corporate Name: SECURITY COUNCIL; UNITED NATIONS MULTIDIMENSIONAL INTEGRATED STABILIZATION MISSION IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - MINUSCA
• Subject Topical: PEACE AND SECURITY
• Geographic Subject: CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
• MAMS Id: 1666903
• Parent Id: 1666903
• Alternate Title: unifeed160708c

Description

STORY: UN / CAR
TRT: 2:59
SOURCE: UNIFEED-UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: FRENCH / ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 08 JULY 2016, NEW YORK CITY

Shotlist

FILE – NEW YORK CITY

1. Close up, United Nations Flag

08 JULY 2016, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (French) Hervé Ladsous, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations:
“The election of President Touadéra, who is often described as a man of the people, and the formation of a new government created a period of expectations, much heightened expectations, of lasting and positive change.”
4. Med shot, delegates
5. SOUNDBITE (French) Hervé Ladsous, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations:
“We need to continue to operationalize the Special Criminal Court. Many people have been arrested and are in prison, but now there must be justice. This will help to resolve the issue of impunity in the Central African Republic. The issue of impunity creates crises year after year. This will show that enough is enough, there is no longer impunity for trouble makers.”
6. Med shot, delegates
7. SOUNDBITE (French) Hervé Ladsous, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations:
“MINUSCA must be the last peacekeeping operation of the United Nations in the country. We have no right to be mistaken. We have to make sure that this time it works because otherwise it would be a catastrophic mistake. It will be a lost opportunity for the people in the country who really need this to be a success now.”
8. Med shot, delegates
9. SOUNDBITE (French) Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations:
“Although the new political reality in the country is full of daunting challenges, it also brings new opportunities never seen before in the Central African Republic and we must now capitalise on them. A transparent and inclusive political process will be key to ensure the engagement of the entire population and to facilitate the rebuilding of the social contract.”
10. Med shot, delegates
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Volodymyr Yelchenko, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations:
“The Panel highlighted that most armed groups had refused to collaborate with the newly elected president in terms of DDR-related issues. Some elements of FACA had been engaged in racketeering local populations, armed groups remained in control of security and taxation in many areas, and the national police, gendarmerie and customs authorities had reported exercising little to no effective authority.”
12. Zoom out, Security Council

Storyline

United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Chief Hervé Ladsous said despite much progress in the Central African Republic (CAR), the country faces considerable challenges including a security climate that “remains fragile and reversible.”

Speaking at the Security Council today (8 Jul), Ladsous said “the election of President Touadéra, who is often described as a man of the people, and the formation of a new government created a period of expectations, much heightened expectations, of lasting and positive change” however the State capacity was weak or non-existent in many parts of the country.

Ladsous stressed the importance of ending impunity in CAR by continuing efforts to set up the Special Criminal Court. He said “many people have been arrested and are in prison, but now there must be justice.” He added that the issue of impunity had created crises year after year and the Court would show that “enough is enough” and there would no longer be impunity “for trouble makers.”

The Peacekeeping Chief said there were “no quick fixes” to the situation in CAR. He said in the past tensions in the country were perceived as “temporary” and that was a mistake. Ladsous said the international community must work with the new leadership in the country in a “long-haul effort.”

Moroccan ambassador Omar Hilale said CAR was decidedly engaged in its recovery process and a wave of hope was spreading throughout the country. Hilale, who chairs the peace-building commission for CAR, said the security situation remains extremely volatile and the risk of volatile and the country was “not exempt from a relapse.” Hilale said the humanitarian situation remained dire and aid appeals for the country were constantly underfunded. He called on the international community to increase their support for CAR and expand the pool of donors as “90 percent of the aid which is often insufficient originates from a handful of stakeholders.”

Ukrainian ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko said a panel of experts tasked with monitoring with situation in CAR spoke of increased attacks by armed groups on civilians, especially by the LRA. Yelchenko also said most armed groups in the country refused to collaborate with the newly elected president to disarm and reintegrate. He added some members of the CAR armed forces (FACA) “had been engaged in racketeering local populations” while armed groups remained in control of security and taxation in many areas, and “the national police, gendarmerie and customs authorities had reported exercising little to no effective authority.”