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8169th Security Council Meeting: Situation in Central African Republic
The Security Council extended its sanctions regime against the Central African Republic today, consisting of an arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze on listed individuals and entities, until 31 January 2019, and the mandate of the Panel of Experts facilitating those measures until 28 February 2019.
Unanimously adopting resolution 2399 (2018) under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the Council decided that the travel ban and asset freeze would apply to individuals and entities designated by the Sanctions Committee as engaging in or providing support for acts that undermined the peace, stability or security of the Central African Republic.
Such measures would also apply to those involved in the targeting of civilians, in ethnic- or religious-based attacks, in the recruitment or use of children in armed conflict, and in criminal networks, through the illicit exploitation or trade in natural resources, including diamonds, gold and wildlife.
The arms embargo would not apply to supplies intended solely for the support or use by the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), European Union training missions, French forces and other State forces providing training. Nor would it apply to supplies brought into the Central African by Chad or Sudan forces solely for their use in the tripartite force established on 23 May 2011.
François Delattre (France) said the resolution replicated the existing arms travel and asset freezes, which were still pertinent, as armed groups remained in large parts of the territory, receiving supplies from neighbouring countries and making use of natural resources. It was crucial for States to pool efforts to respect the sanctions regime. The procedures for exemption and notification were useful in allowing Central African Republic security forces to be trained and armed, and the Government to be supported in reforming the security sector and expanding State authority.
He said the text highlighted violence on the basis of ethnicity and religion, a scourge that was causing victims among civilians and Blue Helmets alike. “The perpetrators must know their acts will not go unpunished,” he said. The sanctions would enable individuals who encouraged violence to be punished. The text also recognized attacks against humanitarian workers and MINUSCA as listing criteria, and paved the way to establish criteria for an evaluation of the arms embargo, which could develop as security sector reform advanced.
Bernard Tanoh-Boutchoue (Côte d’Ivoire), said that, as Chair of the Sanctions Committee established pursuant to resolution 2127 (2013), he thanked delegates for their constructive spirit in crafting a balanced and consensus-based resolution. Given the challenges, renewing the sanctions regime “seems quite justified”. The text sought to strike a balance between encouraging State efforts to provide governance and the need to disarm groups. He welcomed the Committee’s positive review of the arms embargo in the context of comprehensive security sector reform, as well as efforts to operationalize the National Central African Commission.
He said the Committee had broadened the criteria under the sanctions regime to cover incitement to violence and attacks against humanitarian workers. Sanctions, when strictly respected, were effective in accompanying the Council’s actions to resolve conflict. He encouraged the Central African Republic to persevere in emerging from the crisis, and called for “synergy of action” between that country, others in the region, and the United Nations, through the Panel of Experts and MINUSCA.
Lise Huberta Johanna Gregoire Van Haaren (Netherlands) said the Council had sent a strong message today to the perpetrators of human rights and international humanitarian law abuses that “the world is watching”. She expressed concern over religious, ethnic and political leaders using their power to incite violence and hatred, calling for the immediate cessation of all hate speech and pressing them to use their influence to foster peace. She expressed equal concern over violence against humanitarian workers, stressing that Médecins Sans Frontières had recently stopped its activities in Central African Republic. As sanctions alone would not resolve the crisis, she called on all parties to commit to the peace process in the context of the African initiative.
The meeting began at 10:12 a.m. and ended at 10:27 a.m.
