For
CAR Trip,
France's Terms
of Reference,
Here, Amid
Fear in
Bambari
By
Matthew
Russell Lee,
Exclusive
UNITED
NATIONS,
February 26 --
With the UN
Security
Council set
for a
French-organized
visit to the
Central
African
Republic in
two week's
time, Inner
City Press on
February 24
asked UN
Deputy
Emergency
Relief
Coordinator
Kyung-wha Kang
about military
action by
French attack
helicopters in
Bambari. She
replied that
it had
reclaimed
public facilities
in Bria, but
left Muslims
in the area
worried.
"The
attack in Bria
has caused repercussions
among Muslim
population in
Bambari,
triggering
fear that next
would be
them," she
said. She also
mentioned
incitement by
the ex-Seleka.
Now Inner City
Press
exclusively
publishes
France's
“Terms of
Reference” for
the UNSC Trip
to CAR - to
see if they
address issues
like the one
Ms. Kang
answered on,
Sangaris
military
offensives and
fear.
According to
the French
document,
obtained by
Inner City
Press, the
UNSC trip to
CAR is
1. To
recall that
the Central
African
Republic (CAR)
authorities
bear the
primary
responsibility
to protect all
populations
within its
territory from
genocide, war
crimes, ethnic
cleansing and
crimes against
humanity and
to emphasize
that any
sustainable
solution to
the crisis in
the CAR should
be CAR-owned,
2. To
commend the
African-led
International
Support
Mission to the
Central
African
Republic
(MISCA),
Sangaris and
EUFOR RCA for
the work done
in laying the
foundation for
increased
security ahead
of and in
support of the
United Nations
Integrated
Multi-dimensional
Mission to the
CAR
(MINUSCA)’s
deployment,
3. To
express grave
concern that
armed groups
continue to
destabilize
the CAR and
pose a
permanent
threat to the
peace,
security and
stability of
the country,
and to further
express
concern at the
recent
increase in
kidnappings
and attacks
against
humanitarian
workers in the
CAR which
impedes
humanitarian
access to
vulnerable
populations,
4. To
reiterate the
appeal to all
parties and
stakeholders,
particularly
the leaders of
the ex-Seleka
and
anti-Balaka
groups, as
well as all
other armed
groups, to
immediately
cease all
forms of
violence
including
sexual
violence, to
permanently
lay down their
arms, to
release all
children from
their ranks,
and to embark
upon the path
of dialogue as
the only
viable means
towards
achieving
lasting
reconciliation
and
peace,
5. To
remind all
parties of
their
obligations
under
international
humanitarian
and human
rights law to
ensure the
immediate,
full, safe and
unhindered,
civilian-led
delivery of
humanitarian
assistance and
the principle
of safe,
dignified and
sustainable
return of
internally
displaced
persons and
refugees,
6.
To commend
efforts by the
Transitional
Authorities to
gather views
of local
citizens in
advance of the
Bangui Forum
by dispatching
government
ministers and
officials
throughout the
CAR and to
welcome the
holding of the
Bangui Forum
on National
Reconciliation
as an
important
milestone for
a
comprehensive
political
dialogue and
reconciliation
process, at
the local and
national
levels,
7.
To reiterate
the call upon
the
Transitional
Authorities to
accelerate the
transition
process and to
take concrete
action, with
the full,
effective and
equal
participation
of women, for
the holding of
free, fair,
transparent
and inclusive
presidential
and
legislative
elections that
allow for the
full,
effective and
equal
participation
of internally
displaced
persons (IDPs)
and CAR
refugees, no
later than
August 2015;
the fight
against
impunity,
including for
crimes of
sexual and
gender-based
violence; the
formulation
and
implementation
of a
disarmament,
demobilization,
reintegration
and
repatriation
(DD/RR)
strategy; and
the rebuilding
of effective
State
institutions,
including
through
security
sector reform
(SSR),
8.
To reinforce
the need for
an inclusive
and effective
disarmament,
demobilization
and
reintegration
process (DDR)
as well as
repatriation
and
resettlement
(DDRRR) in the
case of
foreign
fighters,
including
women and
children
formerly
associated
with armed
forces and
groups, while
respecting the
need to fight
impunity,
9.
To stress the
important role
of the
internal
security
forces (police
and
gendarmerie)
in the
restoration of
security in
the CAR and
encourage the
CAR
authorities to
initiate the
reform process
of the CAR
Armed Forces
(FACA), to
include
appropriate
vetting
procedures in
order to put
in place a
professional,
representative
and balanced
army,
including
through the
adoption of
measures to
absorb
elements of
the armed
groups meeting
rigorous
selection
criteria,
building the
capacity of
the security
forces to
address sexual
and gender
based
violence, as
well as
through the
retraining of
part of the
FACA,
10.
To welcome in
this regard
the decision
of the
European Union
to establish a
one-year
military
advice mission
based in
Bangui
(EUMAM-RCA),
as requested
by the CAR
transitional
authorities,
in order to
contribute to
providing them
with expert
advice on
reforming the
FACA and to
underline the
importance of
a clear
distribution
of tasks and
close
coordination
between the
international
forces or
missions in
the CAR and
the lead role
of MINUSCA in
this regard,
11.
To assess the
deployment of
MINUSCA’s
military,
police and
civilian
components;
the Missions’
initial work
in
implementing
its mandate;
the
establishment
of the Bangui
Task Force;
and the
Mission’s
reconfiguration
following the
violent
incidents in
Bangui in
October,
12.
To urge
MINUSCA to
accelerate the
deployments of
its civilian,
police and
military
capabilities,
including
gender
advisors and
women
protection
advisors, in
the CAR in
order to reach
its full
operational
capacity as
soon as
possible and
enable the
Mission to
effectively
discharge its
mandate over
the entire
national
territory,
13.
To assess the
security
situation and
MINUSCA’s
ability to
intensify the
implementation
of its
mandate, in
particular to
protect
civilians
under threat
of physical
violence;
prevent and
report on all
forms of
violence
including
sexual-based
violence;
support the
implementation
of the
transition
process, in
particular the
reconciliation
and electoral
processes with
the full and
effective
participation
of women;
facilitate the
civilian-led
delivery of
humanitarian
assistance;
support the
promotion and
protection and
human rights;
support
national and
international
justice and
the rule of
law, and
support the
DDRR and SSR
processes, in
accordance
with priority
tasks set out
in paragraph
30 of Security
Council
resolution
2149
14.
To assess the
plight of
vulnerable
populations in
the CAR,
including
those located
in enclaves in
Bangui and
around the
country,
15.
To urge the
former MISCA
troop and
police
contributing
countries that
have been
rehatted to
MINUSCA to
expedite the
procurement
and deployment
of remaining
additional
contingent-owned
equipment,
16.
To call upon
all
international
partners of
the CAR to
provide urgent
financial
contributions
to support
national
dialogue and
reconciliation,
DDR and SSR
processes, as
well as the
restoration of
the judicial
and penal
chains in
order to fight
against
impunity,
17.
To further
call upon all
international
partners to
provide
support to the
electoral
process as a
matter of
urgency,
particularly
through
financing the
UN Development
Programme
(UNDP)
Multi-donor
basket fund
for elections,
18.
To express
grave concern
at the threat
to peace and
security in
the CAR
arising from
the illicit
transfer,
destabilizing
accumulation
and misuse of
small arms and
light weapons,
and the use of
such weapons
against
civilians
affected by
armed
conflict, and
to recall in
this regard
the important
contribution
the
Council-mandated
arms embargo
can make to
countering the
illicit
transfer of
arms and
related
materiel in
the CAR and
its region,
and in
supporting
post-conflict
peacebuilding,
DDR and
SSR,
19.
To stress the
urgent and
imperative
need to end
impunity in
the CAR and to
bring to
justice
perpetrators
of violations
of
international
humanitarian
law and of
abuses or
violations of
human rights
including
sexual
violence,
underlining in
this regard
the need to
bolster
national
accountability
mechanisms and
to implement
without delay
the 7 August
2014
Memorandum of
Understanding
on Urgent
Temporary
Measures,
which
describes, in
particular,
the
establishment
of a national
Special Penal
Court in
charge of
investigating
and
prosecuting
the serious
crimes
committed in
the CAR,
20.
To welcome and
encourage the
ongoing
cooperation of
the CAR
Transitional
Authorities
with the
Prosecutor of
the
International
Criminal Court
who opened on
24 September
2014 an
investigation
following the
request of the
national
authorities on
alleged crimes
committed
21.
To exchange
views with
members of
civil society,
including
local women
and women
organizations
in the field,
in accordance
with paragraph
6 of UNSC
Resolution
2122 (2013),
22.
To express
concern that
illicit trade,
exploitation
and smuggling
of natural
resources
including
gold, diamonds
and wildlife
poaching and
trafficking
continues to
threaten the
peace and
stability of
CAR,
23.
To note the
critical
importance of
effective
implementation
of the
sanctions
regime,
including the
key role that
neighbouring
States, as
well as
regional and
subregional
organizations,
can play in
this regard
and
encouraging
efforts to
further
enhance
cooperation,
24. To
call on the
Transitional
Authorities to
continue their
efforts to
restore sound
and
transparent
public
financial
management, in
line with the
recommendations
of the recent
International
Monetary Fund
mission in
Bangui
(November
2014), in
particular to
mobilize
domestic
resources,
particularly
customs
revenues, in
full respect
of financial
best practice,
in order to
meet the
expenses
related to the
functioning of
the State;
implement
early recovery
plans; and
revitalize the
economy.
Does this
address what
UN official
Kang spoke
about? Watch
this site.
, 
