U.N. Security Council Greenlights CAR Peacekeeping Mission

By Kanya D'Almeida Reprint | | Print |

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 6 2013 (IPS) - Following on the heels of a deadly explosion in the town of Boali, about 100 kilometres northwest of the Central African Republic’s capital Bangui, which left 12 dead and 30 severely wounded, the United Nations Security Council Thursday approved an African-led peacekeeping mission in the strife-torn country.

Council members agreed unanimously that the situation on the ground is now “characterised by a total breakdown of law and order” and inked into existence the 12-page resolution that allows, among other things, for the creation of the International Support Mission (MISCA in French), comprised primarily of an African Union peacekeeping force backed by French troops.

The Central African Republic (CAR) has been on the verge of a full-blown crisis since the Séléka rebel coalition launched coordinated attacks last December, pausing only when President François Bozizé fled the country in March and a transitional government, with Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye, at the helm, promised to hold elections

While hostilities ceased temporarily, officials reported an upsurge in violence starting around August this year, instigated by armed groups in the northeast of the country of some 4.6 million people.

The resolution referred to these bloody beginnings, and went on to condemn the activities of militant groups like the CAR’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), which constitute “grave violations of human rights”.

A myriad of solutions, both temporary and long-term, now lie on the table in the pages of the resolution. For one, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has been asked to lay contingency plans in the event that MISCA will be transformed into a U.N. peacekeeping operation after the 12-month grace period of the AU-French initiative expires.

Rights groups have also praised the inclusion in the comprehensive text of a yearlong arms embargo that effectively bans the “sale or transfer to CAR” of any weapon, including “ammunition, military vehicles and paramilitary equipment.”

In addition, the resolution underscores the need for broad-based peace building efforts, involving all ethnic groups and religious communities engaging in “inter-communal and interfaith dialogues, aiming at alleviating the current tensions on the ground”.

The resolution was adopted amidst much fear and speculation in the world body about the incendiary nature of the conflict. Just last Monday Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson expressed grave concern over the “horrors” unfolding on the ground, including sexual violence. He claimed the situation was “descending into chaos before our eyes” and pressed the world community to take swift action to stem the loss of life.