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Situation in Central African Republic - 8771st Meeting of Security Council
Despite ongoing tensions, attacks by armed groups and the challenges now posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, plans to hold the Central African Republic’s critical presidential, legislative and local elections on 27 December are continuing apace, the senior United Nations official in the country told the Security Council today.
“Central Africa is very well on its way to holding successful elections,” said Mankeur Ndiaye, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Central African Republic and Head of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), as he briefed the 15-member Council via videoconference. Noting that today’s meeting is taking place at a crucial time for the country, he said it has a unique opportunity to leverage recent democratic gains and further stabilize the security situation.
Among the latest strides, he said the newly drafted electoral code has resulted in the development of a computerized and reliable voter roster. Women now comprise 46 per cent of the electoral roll. However, he reiterated his appeal on the Central African Republic and neighbouring States to allow refugees to participate in the electoral process and called on all actors to refrain from spreading misinformation. The country’s international partners can help to fill outstanding funding gaps, including a $4 million shortfall in the basket fund created by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Describing the path to peace as “long and winding”, he urged stakeholders to “pick up the pace”. MINUSCA will continue to protect civilians and humanitarian workers while simultaneously fulfilling its robust election support mandate.
Smaїl Chergui, African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security, also praised promising recent developments — including the registration of nearly 2 million voters to date. Taking note of the Central African Republic’s statement on “insurmountable obstacles” in registering refugees residing in neighbouring States, he spotlighted the implementation of the 2019 peace agreement signed in Bangui, the country’s capital, as the top priority, while citing a notable decrease in violence since MINUSCA helped Bangui expand the redeployment of State authority across the country. All actors should distance themselves from any statements that could undermine social cohesion — especially rumours and “fake news” — he said, calling on them to support the holding of peaceful elections.
Koen Vervaeke, Managing Director for Africa of the European External Action Service, said the European Union is providing over half the budget for the Central African Republic’s electoral process. It is now critical for all stakeholders in the country to act responsibly, he stressed, calling for media transparency, a revitalization of the peace agreement and an end to impunity. He called on the guarantors and facilitators of the peace agreement to redouble their efforts in support of the accord, adding that, for its part, the Union will mobilize political, humanitarian, cooperation development, crisis management and security instruments to aid the country in State-building and rule of law.
As Council members took the floor, many welcomed strides made in electoral preparations, as well as the Special Representative’s projection that voting will be held on schedule. However, several speakers voiced concern about ongoing human rights violations and attacks on civilians and peacekeepers, stressing that spoilers who violate the 2019 peace agreement by committing such crimes must be held to account. Many also reiterated their delegations’ support for MINUSCA — describing its work as “more important than ever” — and noted that they will vote for its mandate renewal in November.
“The democratic process is anything but easy,” said the representative of Indonesia, calling for efforts to ensure peace and stability in the Central African Republic both during and beyond the election. Noting the many current logistical challenges — which are especially difficult due to COVID-19 — he urged all stakeholders to respect the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Meanwhile, some 2.6 million people still require humanitarian assistance, a situation which has only been exacerbated by the pandemic and ongoing attacks against humanitarian workers.
The representative of France echoed expressions of support for an inclusive, transparent and peaceful electoral process based on the Constitution. Noting that preparations for the polls are running late, endangering them, he said dialogue among the stakeholders is essential to prevent an increase in tensions. Stressing that the electoral process should not obscure the need to make more progress in implementing the 2019 peace agreement, he called on the parties to redouble their efforts — including by deploying mixed security units. Support for security sector reform also remains essential, he said.
China’s delegate welcomed progress in consolidating peace and pushing forward important reforms in the Central African Republic, while noting that the election is crucial to maintaining those gains. Regarding the participation of refugees, he called for respect for Bangui’s own electoral decisions, while recalling that China has provided significant logistical support. Pointing out that the Central African Republic’s national defence and security forces have recently been redeployed to some parts of the country for the first time, he said such measures require international support. The Council should lift its arms embargo on the Central African Republic at an early date, he added.
The representative of Niger described the upcoming elections as a great step forward for the Central African Republic, welcoming the authorities’ preparations. Calling for the relaunch of a consultative framework to ensure dialogue during the electoral process — along with the full support of international partners — he said dialogue between national actors, including at the local level, is critical for stability. He joined other speakers in applauding the efforts of humanitarian workers in the country in the face of COVID-19, while also asking donors to further support them and fill remaining humanitarian funding gaps.
Also participating were the representatives of Estonia, Dominican Republic, Germany, Belgium, United Kingdom, Viet Nam, United States and the Russian Federation.
The meeting began at 10:02 a.m. and ended at 11:30 a.m.
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