Central African Republic

The United Nations announced on Wednesday that all Gabonese military units deployed to the peacekeeping force in the Central African Republic, MINUSCA, are to be sent home immediately, following credible reports alleging that unidentified ‘blue helmets’ had abused five girls.

A "Truth, Justice, Reparation and Reconciliation Commission" was officially launched in July in Bangui, with the swearing in of its members and election of its executive body. Without facilities, without a budget and without peace, some are worried that it will be just another empty shell like the Special Criminal Court for the Central African Republic.

The commander of U.N. peacekeeping forces in the Central African Republic says rebels there continue to challenge authorities and threaten neighboring countries like Cameroon. General Daniel Sidiki Troare made the comments during a weekend visit to Cameroon for talks with defense officials.

In the aftermath of a disputed election and targeted disinformation campaigns, divisive rhetoric presents the greatest risk to a fragile peace. … The CAR government and international partners have taken some initial step to establish mechanisms to combat hate speech and disinformation that, while helpful, are still insufficient to respond to the scope of the problem.

“This morning at dawn elements from the 3R (Return, Reclamation, Rehabilitation) launched a large-scale attack against Central African army positions in the village of Mann,” the spokesperson for the UN’s 12,000-strong MINUSCA mission was quoted as saying by AFP news agency on Saturday.

A human rights lawyer appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council reported to the body Friday that the war-torn Central African Republic’s civilian population is being battered by both armed groups and security forces meant to protect them.

Russia recently sent a group of 600 military instructors to the Central African Republic to train the army, police, and national gendarmerie, Russia's foreign ministry said Friday. Moscow is in the spotlight after a United Nations report, seen by Reuters Tuesday, said Russian military instructors and local troops had targeted civilians with excessive force, indiscriminate killings, occupation of schools and large-scale looting.

Based on first-hand field experience with the UN in Africa, this CSS Mediation Resources by Silke Rusch analyzes how third parties engage armed groups in the negotiation and implementation of peace agreements with DDR provisions. A specific focus lies on this question in extremely fragile contexts, like the Central African Republic and Libya, where the state’s institutions are weak and non-​state armed groups control large territories and natural resources. The study also explores ways forward.

The Kremlin on Monday strongly rejected claims that Russian military instructors in the Central African Republic have been involved in killing civilians and looting homes. During a heated discussion at the U.N. Security Council last week, the United States, Britain and France accused Russian military contractors of committing human rights abuses in the conflict-stricken country. On Sunday, The New York Times cited a report to the Security Council that accused the Russians of killing civilians and looting homes during fighting earlier this year. 

The United States, Britain and France accused Russian mercenaries on Wednesday of operating alongside Central African Republic forces and committing human rights violations against civilians and obstructing U.N. peacekeeping -- charges immediately denied by Russia which denounced the Western nations for engaging in an “anti-Russia political hit job.”