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8187th Security Council Meeting: Situation in Central African Republic
Widespread violence and a lack of humanitarian aid in the Central African Republic had put half the population at risk, but Government efforts to restore State authority and protect civilians were laying the groundwork for peace, the United Nations top official in the country told the Security Council today.
“The picture in the Central African Republic is not as hopeless and bleak as the raw numbers make it appear,” said Parfait Onanga‑Anyanga, Head of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) and the Secretary‑General’s Special Representative for the country.
Atrocities committed mainly by armed groups that were slow to accept the Government’s proposal for dialogue had thwarted the return of refugees and internally displaced persons, he said, causing insecurity to persist and darkening an already precarious humanitarian picture.
Despite such adversity, the Government was working hard to the strengthen newly established democratic institutions and an inclusive political process. The message to everyone was clear: the campaign against impunity — a chronic weakness and source of recurring conflict — was under way.
He also drew attention to the 900 additional troops that the Security Council had authorized in MINUSCA’s renewed mandate, underscoring: “The fate of millions of civilians hinges on the commitment of well‑equipped, well‑trained and determined troops to use all the power bestowed upon them by the Council to protect populations from harm.”
Esa Pulkkinen, Commander of the European Union Military Training Mission in the Central African Republic, speaking from Brussels, said that small numbers of the armed forces in the country trained by the Mission had begun to deploy. Despite logistical constraints, reports on their progress had been favourable. More steps were needed to re‑operationalize both the armed and internal security forces — a critical step for bringing back public institutions and extending State authority. In that context, a 9,800‑strong army was planned by 2021, with some 4,500 of those troops redeployed outside Bangui.
Bedializoun Moussa Nebie, the African Union’s Special Representative to the Central African Republic, briefing via videoconference from Bouar, updated the Council on the African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation. The panel facilitating the initiative had visited the country in November and December to meet with political and military leaders of armed groups to build trust and listen to their concerns. Next month, the panel would visit a second time to seek concrete proposals for a solution to the violence. The message of the African Union was welcomed by the armed groups, easing tensions in certain regions, he noted.
Omar Hilale, Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission’s Central African Republic Configuration, underscored that despite the country’s continued fragility, there had been positive steps forward, such as the implementation of the National Recovery and Peacebuilding Plan. Efforts were also under way to coordinate the basic deployment of internal security forces and providers of basic social services in order to reinforce the social contract between the population and the State.
Bernard Tanoh-Boutchoué, Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 2127 (2013), said that regional cooperation was key in fighting cross‑border threats. However, without the sanctions regime and other assistance from the international community, any steps taken could still fall short of eradicating the conflict’s root causes. Having met eight times, the Committee continued to closely monitor work with the Central African Republic and was planning a visit to the country in 2018.
The representative of the Central African Republic said that with the end of the political transition and the holding of credible democratic elections, everyone had been hopeful until intercommunity violence had broken out. It was clear that the violence was taking place because of the rivalries between armed groups and self‑defence militias, against a political backdrop where leaders did not want to see an end to the crisis. With regard to sanctions, she welcomed the Council’s renewal of those measures and hoped that they would produce the desired result.
After the briefings, several Council members also expressed their concern over the violence and worsening humanitarian situation, while applauding the Government’s efforts that had strengthened state institutions, as well as disarmament, demobilization and rehabilitation measures.
Also speaking today were the representatives of Peru, Equatorial Guinea and Bolivia.
The meeting started at 4:05 p.m. and ended at 5:18 p.m.
