Planned Elections Rare Chance to Move Central African Republic Forward, Officials Tell Security Council, Noting Increasing Attacks by Armed Groups

 

ReliefWeb News and Press Release 
 

9265TH MEETING (AM)

SC/15205
21 FEBRUARY 2023

Bangui’s Foreign Minister Calls for Lifting of ‘Unfair Sanctions’, Warns Proxy War Being Waged against Government, People of Central African Republic

Upcoming local elections — the first planned in the Central African Republic since 1988 — present the “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to advance the country’s peace and political process, senior officials told the Security Council today, as members highlighted the deteriorating security and socioeconomic situations and their heavy toll on civilians.

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 (MINUSCA), said that following a period of relative calm during the rainy season, armed groups have increased their activities and attacks in the country in recent months. New developments in the modus operandi of armed groups — such as the use of explosive devices and drones — are negatively impacting civilians, national security forces and humanitarian actors. She also voiced concern over the resurgence of tensions at the country’s borders, especially in resource-rich hotspots in the north-west, north-east and centre-south.

These new and evolving threats require MINUSCA to maintain flexibility and mobility, she said, drawing attention to the acute lack of infrastructure across the country, including roads and bridges. Other factors constraining the Mission’s ability to act effectively include the lack of sufficient military helicopters and sporadic restrictions on its movements. Against that backdrop, she welcomed the Government’s lifting of its ban on MINUSCA night flights and voiced concern over a newly imposed ban on unmanned flights. In addition, she sounded alarm over the country’s worsening humanitarian crisis, reporting that the number of people suffering from acute food insecurity will increase to 49 per cent in 2023 amid a deep economic contraction.

Also briefing the Council was Omar Hilale, the Chairperson of the Central African Republic configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission, who cited several positive developments. Among other things, he drew attention to the revitalization and national ownership of the peace process, including the implementation of commitments in line with the 2019 Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation and the Luanda Joint Road Map for Peace.

Noting that peacebuilding can only be effective if it is accompanied by efforts to hold perpetrators accountable for serious crimes and human rights violations, he highlighted the Government’s strategy of engagement with armed groups, citing in particular the official dissolution on 6 December 2022 of four armed groups who had been signatories of the Peace and Reconciliation Agreement. He described the move as a “further step towards stabilizing the political and security climate, expanding democratic space, and keeping [the country] on the path to sustainable peace”.

As Council members took the floor, several condemned the rise in attacks by armed groups against civilians, the Central African armed forces and MINUSCA in recent weeks. One such speaker, the representative of France, expressed support for the Central African authorities’ efforts — with the support of MINUSCA and regional countries — to implement the country’s political agreement and the Luanda Road Map. Dialogue between MINUSCA and the Government enabled lifting the ban on night flights, he noted, calling on the latter to also lift its ban on the use of drones for the security of peacekeepers.

The representative of China, calling for the full implementation of the Peace and Reconciliation Agreement, noted that preparations for local elections remain underfunded and urged the international community to provide support. Stressing the need to curb the threat posed by armed groups, he supported the Government’s efforts to implement a national defence policy and address security threats. He also called for the lifting of the Council’s sanctions, expressing support for MINUSCA’s efforts to strengthen coordination among groups and protect civilians.

Gabon’s representative, also speaking on behalf of Ghana and Mozambique, commended an 8 February tripartite summit — attended by officials from the Central African Republic, Angola and Chad — which was devoted to improving the former’s political and security situations and consolidating security at the borders. Amid the upsurge in violence by armed groups and insecurity in localities outside urban centres, the humanitarian crisis in the country continues to worsen, he warned. “There is no military solution to the crisis in [the Central African Republic], there are only political solutions,” he said, adding that economic restoration of basic services must be financially supported.

The representative of Albania welcomed the Government’s decision to lift the ban on MINUSCA’s night flights. However, she expressed concern about a ban on all unmanned aerial vehicle flights in the country, except those of the national defence and security forces. This restricts the Mission’s freedom of movement and undermines its effectiveness, she asserted. She also welcomed the renewal until 2028 of the country’s Special Criminal Court and called on the Government to create a more democratic space for women and children to engage in the planned local elections.

Also addressing the Council was Sylvie Valerie Baipo Temon, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Central African Republic, who stressed that armed groups are waging a proxy war against her country’s people and institutions by exploiting natural resources and destabilizing the country. In the grips of such tyranny, people are forced to live in unacceptable situations of precarity, she said, noting that abuses committed by armed groups obstruct people from accessing land. Noting that the Secretary-General’s latest report on the situation fails to focus on the most essential issues, she said the global community needs to face facts and work together for peace — not simply talk about it. MINUSCA’s primary goal is far from being reached, she said, calling for the lifting of “unfair sanctions” imposed on the Government which legitimize armed groups to the detriment of the legitimate authorities.

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