SENIOR UN OFFICIALS SOUND ALARM ON MULTIPLE CRISES GRIPPING CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

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From: UNNews <UNNews@un.org>
Date: 14 Aug 2013 15:00:01 -0400
Subject: SENIOR UN OFFICIALS SOUND ALARM ON MULTIPLE CRISES GRIPPING
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
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SENIOR UN OFFICIALS SOUND ALARM ON MULTIPLE CRISES GRIPPING CENTRAL
AFRICAN REPUBLICNew York, Aug 14 2013 3:00PMSenior United Nations
officials today raised the alarm about the situation in the Central
African Republic (CAR), which is marked by ongoing insecurity and
instability as well as a rapidly growing humanitarian emergency.

"The Central African Republic is not yet a failed State but has the
potential to become one if swift action is not taken,"
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos warned
in her briefing to the Security Council.

She reported that, over the past months, the humanitarian situation in
CAR has deteriorated "dramatically" and has shifted from being a
long-term crisis of poverty and chronic vulnerability to a complex
emergency characterised by violence, acute needs and grave protection
issues.

"If inadequately addressed, this crisis threatens to spread beyond the
Central African Republic's borders and to further destabilize a region
already facing significant challenges," she said.

The CAR – which has been marked by decades of instability and fighting
– witnessed a resumption of violence last December when the Séléka
rebel coalition launched a series of attacks. A peace agreement was
reached in January, but the rebels again seized the capital, Bangui,
in March, forcing President François Bozizé to flee.

The recent fighting has further eroded even the most basic services in
the country and exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation
that Ms. Amos said affects the entire population of 4.6 million
people, half of whom are children. Currently, 1.6 million people are
in dire need of assistance, including food, protection, health care,
water, sanitation and shelter.

She noted that more than 206,000 people have been internally displaced
and nearly 60,000 have sought refuge in neighbouring countries,
two-thirds of them in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In addition,
over 650,000 children are not able to go to school due to the closure
and occupation of schools by armed groups. Some 484,000 people are now
severely food insecure and thousands of boys and girls are acutely
malnourished.

During her recent visit to the country, Ms. Amos heard reports of
armed attacks against civilians, illegal detention, torture, and
abductions. According to the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), 3,500
children have been recruited into the armed forces and groups during
the conflict. There are also reports of widespread sexual violence.

Ms. Amos, who is also UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, noted that
humanitarian assistance cannot be the long-term solution to the
complex challenges facing CAR. "A comprehensive response, prioritizing
the restoration of security and addressing humanitarian, recovery and
development needs, is urgently needed," she stressed.

Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ivan Šimonovic, who also
visited the country recently, found that the conflict was marked by an
"unprecedented" level of violence, looting and destruction. A key
priority is to swiftly provide security and protect the population
from further human rights violations.

"It is therefore urgent to establish a credible and legitimate
national security force, composed of a limited number of both former
regime security and Séléka forces," he stated. "They have to be
screened and vetted under international guidance to exclude
perpetrators of human rights violations, and properly trained."

Since this will take some time, Mr. Šimonovic called for the
deployment of a large international force with a strong protection
mandate to immediately provide security, protect the population
throughout the country, restore the rule of law, and create favourable
conditions for free and fair elections.

He also cited the need to reinforce the human rights component of the
UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in CAR (BINUCA), noting that it
currently does not have sufficient capacity to monitor, verify and
report on human rights violations throughout the country.

The African Union last month established a 3,600-strong African-led
peace support operation in CAR (AFISM-CAR), mandated to protect
civilians and restore security and public order, restore state
authority, reform and restructure the defence and security sector, and
create the conditions conducive for humanitarian aid delivery.

The Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of BINUCA,
Babacar Gaye, reported that while there is still a "total absence" of
rule of law nationwide, the security situation has slightly improved
in Bangui. However, looting, plunder, kidnapping, torture, and
killings continue.

"As there is no proper chain of command, the country runs the risk of
descending into anarchy and chaos," he stated. "Some police officers
are reporting to work, but are not equipped to work safely and
effectively. Furthermore, they do not trust and they fear their Séléka
counterparts."

While the overall situation in CAR has remained "highly volatile and
unpredictable," there has been some progress on the political front,
said Mr. Gaye. Most of the transitional institutions and mechanisms
have been established, and former defence minister Michel Djotodia
will be sworn in on 18 August as the head of State of the transition,
which should last from 18 to 24 months.

However, tensions persist between Mr. Djotodia, Prime Minister Nicolas
Tiangaye and the President of the National Transitional Council (NTC),
Mr. Gaye added. "Therefore, the political gains made remain fragile,
while the road map for elections remains to be established."Aug 14
2013 3:00PM
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