Central Africa

Gabon holds a presidential election on Saturday, the first since a 2023 coup ended the Bongo family's 56-year dynasty and which the country's new military rulers hope will legitimise and cement their hold on power.

Central African nations continue to grapple with multidimensional crises, including security threats, extreme weather events and geopolitical tensions, a senior UN official said on Friday, calling for renewed solidarity with nations in the region. … Looking ahead, he said the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) is closely monitoring preparations for several elections in the region.

UNOCA’s new mandate covering four key objectives geared towards preventing and resolving conflicts and sustaining peace in Central Africa will begin in September for a three-year period.

Insecurity continues to plague Central Africa, the UN envoy for the region told the Security Council on Wednesday, highlighting concern for cross-border violence.  Special Representative François Louncény Fall cited recent visits to Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo in updating ambassadors on the Secretary-General’s semi-annual report [S/2020/1154] covering the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA).