MINUSCA: A3 Joint Statement

Dear colleagues,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the A3 members of the Security Council namely, Gabon, Ghana and Kenya.

We welcome the report of the Secretary-General and thank SRSG Valentine Rugwabiza for her briefing and insightful perspectives on the situation in the Central African Republic as well as for her continued personal engagement in facing the challenges in the country.

We also welcome the participation in this meeting of H.E. Sylvie BAIPO-TEMON, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Central African Republic.

Dear Council members,

From the outset, the A3 would like to present its sincere condolences to the families of the 3 MINUSCA peacekeepers as well as to the Republic of Bangladesh following the fatal incident where an explosive ordnance detonated on the MINUSCA convoy on October 3. We also wish a speedy recovery to the injured.

We condemn all attacks against MINUSCA personnel and denounce the increasing use of explosive devices in the CAR by arms groups and recall that attacks on United Nations peacekeepers may constitute war crimes. We call on the CAR government to investigate and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

Dear Council members,

The Central African Republic has made enormous progress; it is resolutely pursuing its march towards lasting stability. The support of the international community nevertheless remains crucial in the face of the political, security and humanitarian challenges that stand in the way of the stabilization of this country.

Political situation

We welcome the holding of a strategic review meeting last June, which made it possible to define the modalities and deadlines for the implementation of the Political Agreement through the ICGLR Joint Roadmap. The participation of national and international partners has given greater legitimacy to this work.

Ghana, Kenya and Gabon also welcome the consultations of the members of the Coordination for the follow-up of the process of pooling the Luanda Joint Roadmap and the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in CAR (APPR-CAR), which took place in September and October 2022, in Bangui.

This regular monitoring of the implementation of the Peace Agreement demonstrates the commitment of the Central African authorities to finding solutions to the political crisis in the country.

We underline the clear interest of involving the greatest number of participants in the effective implementation of the Peace Agreement: political actors, civil society, men, women, and signatory armed groups, in order to sustain the peace efforts initiated by the Government and supported by the international community.

In this regard, the A3 welcomes the active role of the African Union, ECCAS and ICGLR in revitalizing the peace process in the CAR.

We are convinced that the military option will not yield a sustainable solution to the situation. The existence of a political space for dialogue is essential for the establishment of lasting peace. We welcome the establishment of the Follow-up Committee on the Recommendations of the Republican Dialogue and the Bangui Forum. This Committee, which plays a major role in the implementation of these recommendations, will contribute to the establishment of a climate of trust between all stakeholders.

We note with interest the positive developments in the field of human rights, in particular the holding of the criminal sessions of the Bangui and Bouar courts of appeal and the special criminal court. We also welcome MINUSCA's support for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

We take note of the decision of the Constitutional Court, on 23 September 2022, to invalidate the decrees establishing the Committee responsible for drafting a new Constitution of the Central African Republic, as well as those endorsing the appointment of the members of this Committee. We welcome the government's decision to abide by the rulings.

The completion of the electoral mapping exercise and the review of the Integrated Security Plan for the upcoming local elections underscores the clear will of the Central African authorities to ensure a credible election. Nevertheless, the substantial financial and technical support of the international community remains a major imperative in the holding of a peaceful, transparent and democratic electoral process.

Dear colleagues,

On the security front, the A-3s encourages the Central African Republic authorities to continue the efforts undertaken to fight armed groups. The commitment and gains made by the FACA on the ground deserve to be commended. It is however essential that the support of the international community within the framework of the restoration of state authority throughout the country, be accompanied by the establishment of community development projects with rapid impact, to bring hope for a better life and to break the cycle of dependency.

As we noted at the beginning of our remarks, armed groups continue to obstruct the security of the Central Africans by sowing chaos, regularly attacking civilian populations and of late using explosive devices, particularly in the center and west of the country.

We commend the work of MINUSCA, whose tangible action is noticeable among the population. MINUSCA has undoubtedly contributed to the protection of civilians and the stabilization of the country, in particular through its robust posture and its Rapid Intervention Force.

We underscore the need for MINUSCA to have the necessary capabilities to deal with new threats. We also note that training and capacity-building activities for defence and security forces need to be strengthened, particularly in the area of mine clearance.

As long as the extraction and supply of minerals including by armed groups meets the demand of buyers, the innocent blood of Central Africans will continue to flow. Now is the time to end this cycle of violence and write a new page in CAR's history. Certification, traceability of minerals and securing borders are prerequisites for the fight against armed groups. The CAR cannot meet these challenges without the support of partners. We especially encourage cooperation between CAR and her neighbours to seal off cross border illicit networks.

Civilian populations have for long remained victims of the wealth of the Central African soil when they should be the primary beneficiaries. Drying up the sources of funding for armed groups, which profit from the illicit trafficking of natural resources in CAR, is essential. Indeed, the question of their financing is central and was recalled at the Extraordinary Summit of the African Union in Malabo in May 2022.

We welcome the progress made in the implementation of disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation (DDRR) marked by the surrender of more than 4500 combatants out of a target of 7000. We call on all rebel groups to join the peace agreement unconditionally and to participate in the DDRR programme.

Pacifying the CAR necessarily requires continued financial support from the international community for the DDRR process. It is crucial that Central African Republic authorities have the financial means to offer alternatives to ex-combatants.

We commend the efforts of the Security Council, which have led to a substantial lifting of the arms embargo. We welcome measures taken by the Government of the Central African Republic to strengthen its arms and ammunition management system in a particularly difficult economic context. We especially welcome the launch, on 29 July of a weapons marking and awareness-raising campaign by the National Commission to Combat the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons.

It is up to all of us to support the Central African Armed Forces, because we know that MINUSCA has an ad hoc mandate and will eventually withdraw from the country. FACA should therefore have the human, material and technical capacities to undertake its sovereign mission of securing the territory and protecting the population. The renewal of MINUSCA's mandate must therefore be seen through the prism of the change in the security context and the legitimate expectations of the CAR authorities.

Dear Colleagues,

The humanitarian crisis is becoming more complex with the induced effects of climate change, attacks by armed groups and the rise of violent extremism, fuelled by the poverty and inequalities inherent in the recurrent socio-economic crises in CAR.

Since June 2022, floods in the Central African Republic have affected more than 85,000 people, destroyed infrastructure, crops and displaced thousands more. We appeal to the international community to continue to support the funding of the Humanitarian Response Plan in the Central African Republic.

In conclusion, we reiterate our solidarity with the Government and the people of CAR and reaffirm our respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country. A-3 thanks SRSG Rugwabiza and her team, for their tireless efforts and support on the ground.

I thank you.