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STORY: UN / CAR
TRT: 03:57
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / FRENCH / NATS
DATELINE: 25 FEBRUARY 2026, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE – NEW YORK CITY
1. Various shots, UN headquarters
25 FEBRUARY 2026, NEW YORK CITY
2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Valentine Rugwabiza, 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:
“On 28th December 2025, the Central African Republic reached an important milestone in the consolidation of the peace process and state authority by holding combined presidential, legislative, regional and municipal elections. These elections, which included the first municipal polls which were held since 1988, represented the most extensive electoral operations ever undertaken in the Central African Republic.”
4. Wide shot, Security Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Valentine Rugwabiza, 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:
“This positive outcome is also the result of joint sustained investment over the past years by the Central African Government and MINUSCA to extend state authority and advance the implementation of the 2019 political agreement, including at the local level.”
6. Wide shot, Security Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Valentine Rugwabiza, 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:
“The mission conducted good offices and provided both technical, logistical, operational and security support. The good offices of the mission helped foster inclusivity in the electoral process. Including positive developments for parity with women, representing more than 47 percent of the voters and 45 percent of the candidates in the municipal elections.”
8. Wide shot, Security Council
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Valentine Rugwabiza, 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:
“Ongoing attacks by attacking militia targeting civilians and local authorities remain a concern. In this context, 21 voting centres in the prefectures out of 6700 established nationwide could not open on Election day.”
10. Wide shot, Security Council
11. SOUNDBITE (French) Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations, in his capacity as Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission:
“The centrality of justice and the rule of law must be reinforced, including support to the Special Criminal Court and to transitional justice mechanisms. We welcome the continued commitment of the national authorities with the support of MINUSCA and other United Nations partners, to restore and strengthen the rule of law in the Central African Republic. While progress has been made, there remains a pressing need for the Council and the international community to ensure continued support to fully realise the gains that have been made in the justice sector.”
12. Wide shot, Security Council
13. SOUNDBITE (French) Marius Aristide Hoja Nzessioué, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Central African Republic:
“Mr. President, above and beyond the electoral deadline, the period that is beginning is of decisive importance in the years to come. Must enable us to build on the institutional progress made to strengthen the authority of the state across the country, and to entrench the rule of law, and to bring about political progress and tangible improvements in the living conditions of our populations. It's this linkage between political stability and lasting security and development. The Central African Republic intends, for now, on to devote its actions with the ongoing support of our partners when it comes to moving forward, the security situation and the protection of civilians remain at the heart of the concerns of the Central African Republic.”
14. Wide shot, end of the 10111th Security Council’s meeting
“On 28th December 2025, the Central African Republic reached an important milestone in the consolidation of the peace process and state authority,” the UN’s top official in the country told the Security Council, pointing to nationwide elections as a sign of political progress.
Valentine Rugwabiza, head of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), said the combined presidential, legislative, regional and municipal polls marked a historic moment.
“These elections, which included the first municipal polls which were held since 1988, represented the most extensive electoral operations ever undertaken in the Central African Republic,” she said.
Rugwabiza described the vote as the result of joint work by the Central African Government and MINUSCA.
She said, “the mission conducted good offices and provided both technical, logistical, operational and security support. The good offices of the mission helped foster inclusivity in the electoral process. Including positive developments for parity with women, representing more than 47 percent of the voters and 45 percent of the candidates in the municipal elections.”
However, she cautioned that security challenges persist. “Ongoing attacks by attacking militia targeting civilians and local authorities remain a concern,” she said, noting that 21 voting centres could not open on the election day.
Addressing the Council in his capacity as Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission, Morocco’s Ambassador Omar Hilale stressed, “the centrality of justice and the rule of law must be reinforced, including support to the Special Criminal Court and to transitional justice mechanisms.” He added there remains “a pressing need for the Council and the international community to ensure continued support to fully realise the gains that have been made in the justice sector.”
The Central African Republic’s Ambassador, Marius Aristide Hoja Nzessioué, said the post-election period would be critical, adding that it must enable the country “to strengthen the authority of the state across the country, and to entrench the rule of law, and to bring about political progress and tangible improvements in the living conditions” of the population.
He underscored that “the security situation and the protection of civilians remain at the heart of the concerns of the Central African Republic.”
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