Corporate report

Central African Republic - Country of Concern: Latest update 30 June 2014

Updated 21 January 2015

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

The grave security and humanitarian situation continues to have a severe impact on the civilian population in CAR. There has been little improvement over the last three months, with reports highlighting continued serious human rights abuses against the population. Abuses include the recruitment and use of child soldiers, extrajudicial killings, sexual violence against women and children, and attacks on places of worship, including a recent spike in religious reprisal attacks in the capital Bangui.

Areas of CAR have been affected by conflict for decades, but this did not prevent diverse ethnic and religious communities from living and working together. Long-term poverty and the vulnerability of key state institutions have led to an acute level of insecurity and a lack of rule of law throughout the country, which has exacerbated religious tensions. There has been an increase in the number of inter-faith reprisal attacks as noted by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). This has resulted in large-scale migration of Muslim communities to neighbouring countries and to the north of CAR. It has had a huge impact on basic livelihoods and the wider economy. Food insecurity is a huge concern. The humanitarian situation is dire, with violence hampering the operations of charities and organisations in CAR.

Although Chad closed its border to CAR refugees in May, allowing only Chadian citizens through, the International Organization of Migration reports that CAR nationals are still entering. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates that over 100,000 refugees have crossed from CAR into Cameroon since December 2013, with approximately 2,000 more people arriving each week. The UK has provided £2.8million through multilateral organisations, including UNHCR and the Central Emergency Response Fund, in response to the refugee crisis in Cameroon.

In April, the UK co-sponsored a UN Security Council Resolution authorising the deployment of a UN Peacekeeping Operation, MINUSCA, to CAR in September. The resolution was passed unanimously. The operation will have a civilian and military dimension, with an initial focus on preventing human rights abuses, and promoting reconciliation. The EU security mission to CAR (EUFOR RCA) reached full operational capability on 15 June, and will run for six months until December 2014. It will reinforce and provide additional support to the African Union (AU) and French forces until MINUSCA is deployed in September.

The Minister for Africa, Mark Simmonds, discussed the security and humanitarian situation in CAR with the interim President, Catherine Samba-Panza, on 23 May, in the margins of the New York Forum in Gabon. She welcomed the deployment of EUFOR and MINUSCA, which will improve conditions for humanitarian access. The President said her priority would be to restore the administration of basic services to the population.

In June, the UN Commission of Inquiry released a preliminary report on the events in CAR. Their findings documented that both Seleka and anti-Balaka members had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, but not genocide.

At the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict in June, the Foreign Secretary highlighted the situation in CAR. The African Union announced the deployment of an African team of experts to CAR in a pilot investigating sexual violence abuses. The pilot will apply a twin track approach of responding to the urgent needs of victims of sexual violence, whilst at the same time preventing the violence from further escalating. The programme will allow the tracking and investigation of allegations of sexual violence for further action by the African Union Commission and national stakeholders. This project will be funded by the UK and Japan. The UK has also provided £279,000 to the AU to support the deployment of medical, psychosocial support, legal, police, forensic, and sexual gender based violence experts within the framework of the African-led International Support Mission to the Central African Republic.

The UK welcomed the decision by interim CAR President Samba-Panza on 12 June to refer the most serious crimes that have occurred in CAR since August 2012 to the International Criminal Court (ICC), as CAR lacks the capacity to investigate and prosecute these. In February, the ICC’s prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, opened a “preliminary examination” to investigate allegations of murder, rape, sexual slavery, torture, forced displacement and recruitment and use of children in hostilities.

On 23 June, Mr Simmonds met the Bishop of Bossangoa, Nestor Azagbya Nongo, a member of CAR’s Inter-Religious Forum, which advocates religious harmony in CAR. The bishop’s message was that the violence in CAR should not be seen as a fight between different religions, but rather as the legacy of neglect, poverty and political exploitation. The immediate focus of the international community should be on disarming the rebel groups and ensuring humanitarian access. Mr Simmonds expressed the UK’s commitment to remain a strong player in the international community’s efforts in CAR.

On 24 June, the UK, alongside the EU, made a statement during the 26th Human Rights Council supporting the findings and recommendation of the UN’s Independent Expert on CAR.