Central African Republic

Hundreds of trucks transporting food and humanitarian assistance to the Central African Republic are blocked at the border with Cameroon, as rebels have cut off the road to the capital, Bangui. The rebels acted to protest the president's new cabinet, which they say is not being representative enough.

The government of the Central African Republic and 14 of the most powerful armed groups operating in the country came together to sign a peace deal last month. If it goes to plan, the signatories will be responsible for leading the country into a new era of peace, allowing its incredible potential to blossom. However, failure will further solidify CAR’s place as one of the world’s most fractured states.

Central African Republic's month-old peace deal with armed groups is facing its first major challenge this week, after several signatories said a newly-formed government was not sufficiently representative. … But four of the rebel groups have since withdrawn their representatives from government or demanded a reshuffle, including FPRC, one of the main participants. On Monday, another rebel group MLCJ demanded the prime minister reorganise cabinet within 72 hours.

The 6 February peace accord between the Central African Republic (CAR) government and 14 recognised armed groups is the eighth such agreement since the country descended into violence in 2012. It came after 10 days of talks in Khartoum, building on more than two years of intense negotiations under the African Union (AU) Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation in the CAR.

Despite the signing of a recent peace deal between the Government of the Central African Republic (CAR) and 14 armed groups, “we should not forget that the situation in the country remains serious,” a senior UN envoy told the Security Council on Thursday.

Following the signing of a peace agreement between the Government of the Central African Republic (CAR) and 14 non-state armed groups active in the country on Wednesday, the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, congratulated all stakeholders and encouraged them to now “live up to their commitments”. … As the Central African Republic enters this new phase, the UN chief announced on Wednesday also that Mankeur Ndiaye of Senegal will be his new Special Representative to the country, mandated to head the UN’s stabilization mission there (MINUSCA).

A prime minister from the ranks of the rebels and no general amnesty — these are the cornerstones of the peace treaty that has been signed by the government of the Central African Republic and several rebel groups.

The United Nations Security Council agreed on Thursday to review arms embargo measures on Central African Republic by the end of September if the country makes progress in areas including reform of its security sector and management of its weapons.

On January 24, peace talks aimed at ending the conflict in the Central African Republic (CAR) opened in Khartoum. Brokered by the African Union (AU), the dialogue brings together government representatives and fourteen armed groups. Difficult negotiations lie ahead, partly because several transitional justice initiatives have already gotten off the ground in recent months. An examination of these initiatives raises a variety of questions about CAR’s peace process.