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davidbfpo
11-29-2013, 02:42 PM
The situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) for those without weapons has steadily worsened, with some calling it genocide, others it's a disaster etc:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25095471

Somehow I doubt that our mainly US readership will be aware, let alone concerned. CAR is after all in the heart of 'The Dark Continent', was a French colony and Africa - via its states - needs to look after its own. In my limited reading I note the absence of the R2P advocates.

Sadly I expect the situation in CAR will move along steadily, with the likely exception of the capital Bangui, where a small, now reinforced French presence (410 now, rising to 750) may act as a restraint. It is unclear what effect the regional African intervention presence has; it is called FOMAC (2200 strong, EU-funded and present since 2008), it may become an AU if not UN mission.

Pre-crisis background, note the CAR has a long history post-independence of tyranny:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13150040

The last two reports, the South African backgrounder is exceptionally useful:http://gga.org/stories/editions/aif-18-fault-lines-africas-separation-anxiety/from-terror-to-tyranny/?utm_source=OpenNetworksCRM&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=OpenNetworksCRM and Al-Jazeera is good all-rounder:http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/11/car-chaos-brings-terror-2013112775422551726.html#.Upfn2L49Plc.twitter

Red Rat
11-29-2013, 02:56 PM
Because the violence is still predominantly criminal and not political in nature I think this will not attract attention for intervention.

KingJaja
11-29-2013, 05:33 PM
davidbfpo,


The situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) for those without weapons has steadily worsened, with some calling it genocide, others it's a disaster etc:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25095471

Somehow I doubt that our mainly US readership will be aware, let alone concerned. CAR is after all in the heart of 'The Dark Continent', was a French colony and Africa - via its states - needs to look after its own. In my limited reading I note the absence of the R2P advocates.

Sadly I expect the situation in CAR will move along steadily, with the likely exception of the capital Bangui, where a small, now reinforced French presence (410 now, rising to 750) may act as a restraint. It is unclear what effect the regional African intervention presence has; it is called FOMAC (2200 strong, EU-funded and present since 2008), it may become an AU if not UN mission.

Pre-crisis background, note the CAR has a long history post-independence of tyranny:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13150040

The last two reports, the South African backgrounder is exceptionally useful:http://gga.org/stories/editions/aif-...penNetworksCRM and Al-Jazeera is good all-rounder:http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/fea...L49Plc.twitter

CAR isn't "far" - there's just Northern Cameroon between it and Northern Nigeria. You find the same or similar ethnic groups in those places & colonial boundaries don't mean much.

I keep insisting that US shouldn't be fighting terrorism in Africa, it should seek to understand state failure - that is what's going on hear.

And yes, a Western journalist told me that he spoke to a Nigerian (from Kaduna in the North), fighting with the Seleka rebels.

I hear Boko Haram is already setting up shop there - & if they do, nothing can stop them.

jmm99
11-29-2013, 10:11 PM
1. Should "anyone" be doing "something" about the CAR; and, if so,

2. Who is that "anyone" who should be doing "something"; and what is that "something" ?

That country is at least known to me. My aunt, a missionary, served pre-WWII and post-WWII "tours" in the CAR (when it was the Ubangi-Chari area of French Equatorial Africa) at Fort Crampel (now Kaga Bandoro in the Gribingui prefecture), roughly 300 km NNE of Bangui:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Central_African_Republic_Map.jpg/573px-Central_African_Republic_Map.jpg

Another important question to me is why the CAR (Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Republic)) has had "a long history post-independence of tyranny" ? Integral to that question is what was its pre-colonial history of governance - and of exploitation by its northern and eastern neighbors (mostly Islamic), especially with respect to the slave trade ? If the area has had a centuries-old tradition of rule by "strong men", "Western democratic" interveners will have a very rough row to hoe (IMO).

As KJ has reminded us many times: look to the ethnicities and religions. So, from the Wiki:


The nation is divided into over 80 ethnic groups, each having its own language. ... Fifty percent of the population of CAR are Christians (Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%), while 35% of the population maintain indigenous beliefs. Islam is practiced by 15% of the country's population.

From what little pre-colonial history I found, Ubangi-Chari was dominated by the adjacent Islamic states to its north and east. The seeds for an ethno-religious conflict are certainly there.

Finally, KJ has also noted the relationship of Boko Haram to the former Kanem (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanem_Empire), Bornu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bornu_Empire) and Kanem-Bornu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanem-Bornu) empires:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/Kanem-Bornu.svg/600px-Kanem-Bornu.svg.png

This map shows the farthest extent of the medieval Kanem-Bornu state.

Thus, Boko Haram has its "modern" Islamist aspect; but also a "nationalistic" aspect (based on the medieval empires) and an ethnic aspect (the Kanuri people (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanuri_people)), as well. I'm reminded of the Pashtuns of Astan and Pstan.

Regards

Mike

davidbfpo
11-30-2013, 12:21 AM
JMM99 asked:
1. Should "anyone" be doing "something" about the CAR; and, if so,

2. Who is that "anyone" who should be doing "something"; and what is that "something" ?

Yes, the "anyone" should be African only, maybe with non-African financial, logistic and other support. If Africa thinks it is a problem for them, a moot question, there are some who have the means.

The "something" is to restrain the 'men of violence' who currently are on a looting plus spree. The first step in 'peacemaking' and some form of settlement, even if that means one day partition - South Sudan took a long time to get independence.

Easy from a faraway armchair.

KingJaja
12-01-2013, 10:12 AM
Davidbfpo,

The more important question should be - "is the established post-colonial order, which the Central African Republic represents sustainable, if not, then why not allow the natural order to prevail"?

Read me, I've kept on insisting that most African states are not nations but ex-colonial administrative units. There's no point beating around the bush or wasting time.

What if a similar situation occurs in a really big state like Nigeria - who will intervene?

jmm99
12-01-2013, 09:12 PM
1. What is the "natural order" in the CAR, a small nation of ~5 million people with ~90 ethnicities ?

2. What is the "natural order" in Nigeria, a large nation of ~180 million people with ~250-500 ethnicities ?

Regards

Mike

davidbfpo
12-01-2013, 10:29 PM
Davidbfpo,

The more important question should be - "is the established post-colonial order, which the Central African Republic represents sustainable, if not, then why not allow the natural order to prevail"?

Read me, I've kept on insisting that most African states are not nations but ex-colonial administrative units. There's no point beating around the bush or wasting time.

I agree that Africa is burdened with 'ex-colonial administrative units', but am unsure if anyone knows what the 'natural order' is. Surely that 'order' will take time to evolve, until that presumably happy state is achieved, what should those outside CAR do? My focus is on the safety of the unarmed civilians caught up in the situation today.

I'd rather leave alone Nigeria's future here, but do recall some of scenes from your own civil war long ago. The people of CAR have not had a happy, let alone natural order for a long time - all from a comfortable armchair far away.:wry:

Bill Moore
12-02-2013, 07:04 AM
I agree that Africa is burdened with 'ex-colonial administrative units', but am unsure if anyone knows what the 'natural order' is. Surely that 'order' will take time to evolve, until that presumably happy state is achieved, what should those outside CAR do? My focus is on the safety of the unarmed civilians caught up in the situation today.

I'd rather leave alone Nigeria's future here, but do recall some of scenes from your own civil war long ago. The people of CAR have not had a happy, let alone natural order for a long time - all from a comfortable armchair far away.:wry:

How can it evolve if outsiders intervene to maintain the status quo?

davidbfpo
12-02-2013, 10:48 AM
How can it evolve if outsiders intervene to maintain the status quo?


Bill,

Touche!:eek:

As I said my focus is on the safety of the unarmed civilians caught up in the situation today. Intervention in my day-dreaming would hardly maintain the status quo; rather create - hopefully - a period of less violence, even calm. Then perhaps new relationships, even borders might be reached. From my early reading (cited Post 1) it appeared that CAR already had communal differences, just that the CAR state didn't see them as borders.

All maybe hopelessly optimistic, too many maybe's.

TheCurmudgeon
12-02-2013, 12:34 PM
I keep insisting that US shouldn't be fighting terrorism in Africa, it should seek to understand state failure - that is what's going on hear.

...

I hear Boko Haram is already setting up shop there - & if they do, nothing can stop them.

Interesting. Assuming you are correct, the question should be "what does an organization like Boko Haram offer the population that other political structures do not?"

KingJaja
12-02-2013, 03:53 PM
TheCurmudgeon,


Interesting. Assuming you are correct, the question should be "what does an organization like Boko Haram offer the population that other political structures do not?"

There's very little government presence outside Africa's capital cities (or regional administrative centers), so it is extremely easy for Boko Haram to establish better governance than a disturbingly large number of African states.

In North East Nigeria the local government system has broken down, literacy rates are as low as 20% - government basically does not exist in large swathes of territory. That's why Boko Haram can be firmly entrenched.

Central African Republic is much worse governed than Nigeria - at least we can agree on that? So I don't see how an organisation, Boko Haram, that has the resources and capacity to challenge the Nigerian state, will have problems plying its trade in CAR.

carl
12-05-2013, 07:50 PM
Interesting. Assuming you are correct, the question should be "what does an organization like Boko Haram offer the population that other political structures do not?"

I think what the population wants is beside the point. The population is very poor and not organized. Boko Haram is organized and a small, armed organized group always can exercise great power over a very large groups of disorganized people whether they like it or not.

We seem to forget this too often I think. Tyrants are very capable of ruling over populations that don't like them much.

carl
12-05-2013, 07:54 PM
King Jaja:

News reports today say fighting has broken out in Bangui. Reuters reports that some of this fighting is assuming a Christian vs. Muslim character. You have said that if the Muslims push to hard against the Christians in Africa, things could get very, very bad.

Could you comment on this?

jmm99
12-05-2013, 11:32 PM
HRW Report, “I Can Still Smell the Dead” - The Forgotten Human Rights Crisis in the Central African Republic (http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/car0913_ForUpload.pdf) (Sep 2013) (89 pp, maps & photos):


On December 10, 2012, an alliance of three major rebel groups known as the Seleka coalition began a campaign to overthrow the government of President François Bozizé of the Central African Republic (CAR). On March 24, 2013, Seleka rebels took control of Bangui, CAR’s capital, and also seized control of 15 of the country’s 16 provinces. Michel Djotodia, one of the rebel groups’ leaders, suspended the constitution, and installed himself as interim president—a role to which he was subsequently elected by a transitional government. Elections are to be held after 18 months.

The Seleka (“alliance” in Sango, the main national language) said they aimed to liberate the country and bring peace and security to the people. But for most Central Africans, 2013 has been a dark year, marked by rising violence and vicious Seleka attacks against civilians in Bangui and the provinces. With no checks on their power, the Seleka rule arbitrarily and with complete impunity, with the government failing to follow through on its public commitment to bring to justice those responsible for recent abuses.

Seleka forces have destroyed numerous rural villages, looted country-wide, and raped women and girls. In one attack in Bangui on March 25, Seleka fighters raped two sisters, aged 33 and 23, in their home. The younger sister, who was eight-months pregnant, lost her baby the next day. Rape survivors lack access to adequate health care due to insecurity and lack of health services. Civilians who have been abused have nowhere to turn: the civilian administrative state in CAR has collapsed. In most provinces there are no police or courts. Many health clinics across the country do not function, and in at least one town a hospital has been occupied by the Seleka; most schools are closed.
...
As the Seleka moved down to Bangui from the northeast, they captured major towns along the way. In these towns, the Seleka immediately began to loot the homes of the civilian population; those who tried to resist were threatened, injured, or killed.

Human Rights Watch documented attacks on villages by Seleka forces and their allies in northern CAR betweenFebruary and June 2013. This research focused on a broad triangle of territory within the main roads linking Kaga Bandoro, Batangafo, and Bossangoa.

Evidence indicates that Seleka fighters forced villagers out of their homes in order to loot them. Some villagers reported that the attacks were designed to create space for members of the Mbarara community—nomadic pastoralists who move their cattle between Chad and the Central African Republic and have recently been allied with the Seleka.

Human Rights Watch recorded more than 1,000 homes destroyed in at least 34 villages along these roads. Schools and churches were also looted and burned. The Seleka killed scores of civilians while they were trying to flee and have prompted whole communities to flee into the bush—including 113 families from Maorka.

Regards

Mike

Bill Moore
12-06-2013, 04:13 AM
Bill,

Touche!:eek:

As I said my focus is on the safety of the unarmed civilians caught up in the situation today. Intervention in my day-dreaming would hardly maintain the status quo; rather create - hopefully - a period of less violence, even calm. Then perhaps new relationships, even borders might be reached. From my early reading (cited Post 1) it appeared that CAR already had communal differences, just that the CAR state didn't see them as borders.

All maybe hopelessly optimistic, too many maybe's.

David,

I didn't consider my comment touche or emotional at all, but it was a simple statement with deep meaning. How do we expect Africa to evolve in a way that will eventually result in an acceptable norm for them that is relatively peaceful if we keep intervening to maintain the status quo.

I suspect most of us the West have concerns with unarmed civilians getting killed in any conflict, we definitely killed quite a few ourselves in our recent conflicts and tens of thousands of them during WWII, so is that really a criteria for intervention? Sounds like R2P and the CNN effect all over again, and while not discounting it, since this is principally a conflict between peoples not states, does being unarmed mean you're not a target (to the belligerents)?

I'm not taking a stand one way or the other, I only have a limited familiarity with CAR, but I'm exploring our assumptions for intervention. Short term we may save lives, longer term I'm not so sure.

davidbfpo
12-07-2013, 10:44 PM
I am not advocating the UK intervenes in CAR, although it appears this week we offered the French airlift support.

I too am aware that media access and reporting of conflict is neither impartial or complete. Somehow I expect there is another bloody conflict under-way in Africa which has not been reported, let gained "front page" attention here.

For example I cannot recall much reporting let alone footage of the Sudanese civil war, then along came Darfur which had some and South Sudan almost appeared without attention - although there was some.

Try this C4 report, by an experienced reporter:http://blogs.channel4.com/alex-thomsons-view/on-verge-genocide-view-central-african-republic/6683

Incidentally FOMAC troops have been active, with one Congolese soldier killed this week; via BBC World Service reporter Thomas Fessey, on Twitter as @bbcfessey.

Bill Moore
12-08-2013, 02:24 AM
David, the report was insightful but seemed to dismiss the fact that the Seleka militia is mostly composed of Muslims, which reinforces the characterization that this conflict may have, or is starting to take on a religious conflict character. At least that is what some of the Christians in CAR believe, and perception is reality when it comes making decision on how to respond.

From Christian news sources:

The Vatican

http://www.news.va/en/news/africacentral-african-republic-seleka-consists-lar

AFRICA/CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC - "Seleka consists largely of jihadists, our situation is similar to that of Mali," says the Bishop of Bangassou


The rebels’ goal is to overthrow the current government and impose a regime of Islamic imprint. These are the jihadists, probably paid for by someone from the outside," said the Bishop. "The situation is very similar to that of Mali, but the Central African Republic does not seem to alarm the world in the same way."In the Country there are troops of the Central Africa Countries , plus a South African military contingent to protect the "sensitive areas" of the capital. "80-90% of the Country is in the hands of Seleka, 5-6 guerrilla groups gathered under this symbol. They consist largely of jihadists who speak Arabic and who after conquering other areas of the Country are also taking the east, where they have killed and raped civilians, looted homes and Christian missions, but not mosques. In the conquered cities they have destroyed the municipal registers and courts, an action aimed at destroying the historical memory of the local population," said Mgr. Aguirre Munos.

The Presbyterian Church

http://www.pcusa.org/news/2013/12/2/religious-conflict-rips-through-central-african-re/

Religious conflict rips through Central African Republic


Seleka was formed in December 2012, when Islamists and other rebel groups from Chad and Sudan joined forces. The militants had crossed into the country, attacking government installations and destroying churches and church missions, businesses and homes, Christian agencies report.


Church leaders say the violence is surging, while U.N. officials say the situation is slowly degenerating into a Christian-Muslim conflict as the rebels escalate attacks and Christian militia retaliate. Some have voiced fears of a potential genocide.

“We did not have tensions until the arrival of Seleka,” said the Rev. Andre Golike, president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Central African Republic

I see no indication at this time any of this is associated with AQ affiliates but it appears to be more of an attempt to mobilize segments of the population by using religion. Will be interesting to see how this plays out.

carl
12-08-2013, 04:50 AM
I see no indication at this time any of this is associated with AQ affiliates but it appears to be more of an attempt to mobilize segments of the population by using religion. Will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Does it matter in the long run if Seleka is associated with AQ right now, or if they ever associate with AQ itself? AQ, or a variation thereof, is going to go to them. We are getting to the point of Christians vs. Muslims in Nigeria, in Kenya, in Sudan (for decades) and now in the CAR. This will be more than interesting, this may turn out lethal for millions of people. I think it is far more than trying to take advantage of a local situation.

In fact, Muslim persecution of Christians it seems to me is growing everywhere in some Muslim countries, lethal persecution. This problem isn't going to go away and is an ongoing human tragedy that we not only say little about, we don't even seem to see it.

Bill Moore
12-08-2013, 06:15 PM
Does it matter in the long run if Seleka is associated with AQ right now, or if they ever associate with AQ itself? AQ, or a variation thereof, is going to go to them. We are getting to the point of Christians vs. Muslims in Nigeria, in Kenya, in Sudan (for decades) and now in the CAR. This will be more than interesting, this may turn out lethal for millions of people. I think it is far more than trying to take advantage of a local situation.

In fact, Muslim persecution of Christians it seems to me is growing everywhere in some Muslim countries, lethal persecution. This problem isn't going to go away and is an ongoing human tragedy that we not only say little about, we don't even seem to see it.

Carl I agree with you, I put the caveats in my response to damper the automatic responses from self-proclaimed "more rational" who dismiss the character the conflict we're in because it doesn't conform to their view of the world.

davidbfpo
12-23-2013, 09:26 PM
There is a new backgrounder on the situation, the author is familiar with Africa and has worked on AU peacekeeping before. Within the conclusion is this salutary reminder:
More than a dozen peace support operations have been deployed since 1996 and none has made any substantive progress in addressing the root causes of the CAR’s chronic lack of governance and security.Link:http://oxfordresearchgroup.org.uk/publications/briefing_papers_and_reports/building_sustainable_peace_and_security_central_af rican_rep

There is a SWJBlog item on the USA saving CAR from being another Rwanda, with to date three comments: http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/the-inside-story-of-how-the-us-acted-to-prevent-another-rwanda

jmm99
01-10-2014, 05:20 PM
At least, that's Deutsche Welle's analysis, French troops fail to stop the violence in CAR (http://www.dw.de/french-troops-fail-to-stop-the-violence-in-car/a-17351664):


France launched Operation Sangaris one month ago in a bid to stop the catastrophe unfolding in the Central African Republic. But the violence has only escalated, and the number of displaced has risen to one million.
...
One reason for the failure of the mission was that there were not enough soldiers, said Jean-Claude Allard, director of research at the French Institute for International and Strategic Relations. "With 1,600 soldiers, how can you even police Bangui, which has almost one million inhabitants?" Even the planned increase of MISCA troops to 6,000 would not be enough to restore security, according to Allard.

French troops are powerless

What is even more problematic than insufficient troop strength is that "there is no political solution to the conflict in sight," Allard said. For them to still achieve their goals, the international community and France would have to stay in Central Africa for a long time, Allard said. A "brief" deployment – the French government had spoken of about six months – is out of the question.
....

Stan's comments to the SWJ article on CAR (http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/the-inside-story-of-how-the-us-acted-to-prevent-another-rwanda) (cited by David in the prior post) are well founded in reality (something not understood by avid interveners and state builders) - here's some Stan:


100M or even the 700M that I had at my disposal in the 80s and 90s would not fix Rwanda then and not CAR now. We lack engagement because the cold war is over and a tiny land-locked country with little to offer is not enticing enough for the American people nor USG. No surprises there !

You can’t prevent something you know little about. We suck at Africa and we have no investment other than appeasing our European partners with airlift. Rwanda then, CAR now.

Do you seriously think an MSG is going to change things ? Why ? Modern comms ? How about old fashion real intel work on the ground with the locals ? If the embassy does an evac, it’s because the insurance costs for all those souls is far more costly than a slight black eye. Done it 4 times and it doesn’t get better. All the gear in the world won’t save your alpha when you are not authorized to return fire. DUH !

What difference does it make if the embassy and DAO are fully manned ? Underfunded ? We do that all the time. Under strength ? We do that to this day. What’s the point ?

Investing in preventing something we know nothing about is anything but cheap. We do not need an engagement with boots and equipment in a country that will go Tango Uniform with the next dictator. Providing resources so they can do what ? Kill their own civilians ? Done that too bro ! ...

And so it seems to go on ... and on.

Regards

Mike

jmm99
01-18-2014, 03:16 PM
You may or may not buy Marvin Harris (http://www.amazon.com/Cannibals-kings-cultures-Marvin-Harris/dp/0394407652); but, let's start with kings - actually, the lack thereof.

NY Times, Last-Ditch Effort Emerges to Restore Order in Central African Republic (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/18/world/africa/last-ditch-effort-emerges-to-restore-order-in-central-african-republic.html?hpw&rref=world&_r=0) (by ADAM NOSSITER, JAN. 17, 2014):


BANGUI, Central African Republic — By midafternoon, a hot breeze blows down empty corridors of the mostly vacant national assembly building here. Hundreds of grim soldiers, their uniforms looted or hidden away, mass in civilian clothes after going AWOL for months. Around abandoned university buildings, idle students loiter, their classes long canceled.

The state no longer exists in the Central African Republic. Civil servants do not go to their offices, taxes are not collected and all the schools are closed. There is no budget, no army, no police force, no president, no Parliament, no judges or jails, and at least a fifth of the population has fled. After nine months of violence and well over a thousand dead since early December alone, Christians and Muslims fear and attack one another. Neighbor has turned against neighbor, and every night there are killings.

Now, an unlikely experiment in instant nation-building is underway: a vote for president. Inspired equally by desperation and pressure from abroad, a “national transition council” of 135 rebels, rivals, politicians and everyone in between is making a last-ditch lunge for order, hoping to choose a new leader for this fractured country within days. ...

Samantha Power (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samantha_Power) can photo-op as much as she wants,

http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/AP191452051926-972x648.jpg

but the US is not about to solve this problem - even if we engage Cass Sunstein (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cass_Sunstein). :(

Cuz, here we have la piece de resistance, which takes us back to the NYT article:


Last week, dozens here witnessed the depths of the sectarian tensions as a young Muslim man was pulled from a minibus, stabbed and beaten to death, then burned and cut up by a mob of 15 young Christian men.


“I killed him, then I sucked his blood,” said Magloire Wounthnga, a 15-year-old dropout and orphan, with a sharp machete stuffed into his trousers, a dagger at his side and a thick tangle of beads and crucifixes hanging from his neck. “I burned him, then I ate him, with bread and manioc paste.”

Mr. Wounthnga said he was merely taking revenge because the Seleka had killed his pregnant sister. Next to him, His friend Stany Noakpe, 21, also said he had acted in a spirit of revenge. Their neutral tones spoke to the entrenched antagonism between Christians and the minority Muslim population here — and to the difficult task that confronts the transition council members in alleviating it.

Mr Wounthnga's recipe seems more substantial than the good doctor's side dish of fava beans - although one might want to include a nice chianti (Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVlkZVAw8Gc)).

Regards

Mike

PS: "Lead Photo: U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power meets with peacekeepers from Burundi in the Central African Republic." [link (http://thinkprogress.org/security/2013/12/20/3054321/inside-story-acted-prevent-rwanda/)] From Burundi ! You can't get much better (Rwanda, Congo) - these troopers seem a civilized 21st century lot, but are they ?

Stan
01-20-2014, 07:41 PM
PS: "Lead Photo: U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power meets with peacekeepers from Burundi in the Central African Republic." [link (http://thinkprogress.org/security/2013/12/20/3054321/inside-story-acted-prevent-rwanda/)] From Burundi ! You can't get much better (Rwanda, Congo) - these troopers seem a civilized 21st century lot, but are they ?

Hey Mike !

Water bottles, dark shades and clean uniforms with spit-shined boots and then this....


A top U.S. diplomat known for her expertise in genocide arrived in the violence-wracked Central African Republic on Thursday to gauge the growing sectarian unrest there between Christians and Muslims.

Not civilized, but prepared for Western diplomats and donations :rolleyes:

Regards, Stan

PS. I bet she was itching to be out of there fast !

AdamG
01-21-2014, 09:14 PM
The Feel Good Pointless Gesture of 2014 -


BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union will send up to 1,000 soldiers to help stabilise Central African Republic, deploying its first major army operation in six years, EU foreign ministers decided on Monday.

The EU has been spurred into action by communal bloodshed in Central African Republic that led a senior U.N. official to warn last week of a risk of genocide there without a more decisive international response.


It is not yet clear which EU countries will contribute troops. Estonia has promised soldiers, and Lithuania, Slovenia, Finland, Belgium, Poland and Sweden are among countries considering sending troops, diplomats say.

Large EU countries such as Britain, Germany and Italy have said they will not send ground troops.

http://news.yahoo.com/eu-send-military-force-central-african-republic-153247800.html

davidbfpo
01-25-2014, 02:16 PM
There has been some reporting on the situation in CAR, mainly in the capital where it is clear control remains elusive. Thomas Fessy, the BBC World Service (French service), tweets most days and is worth following @bbcfessy

As for other EU nations supplying forces "that'll be the day". I did spot a French agency report that the Franco-German brigade was an option; it appears FRG declined that. For several years now NATO / EU have maintained 'standby' brigades for such operations, so sending a thousand soldiers - as cited - looks like a piecemeal response.

HRW have issued a new report, which on a quick read is a good backgrounder:http://www.hrw.org/node/121434/section/1

A glimpse into the operational, logistic realities:http://www.stripes.com/news/for-us-forces-delivering-peacekeepers-to-the-central-african-republic-is-no-easy-task-1.263356?reminder=later

jmm99
01-25-2014, 05:15 PM
From my last post:


You can't get much better (Rwanda, Congo) ...

which was me being a bit of a snark - based on past genocidal histories. So, USA, why not troopies from Rwanda and Congo ?

And, Presto:

http://www.stripes.com/polopoly_fs/1.263358.1390408599!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/large_article/image.jpg


Rwandan soldiers form up after a C-17 Globemaster III based out of McChord Air Force Base, Wash., dropped them off in the Central African Republic on Jan. 19, 2014. [from David's Stars & Stripes link (http://www.stripes.com/news/for-us-forces-delivering-peacekeepers-to-the-central-african-republic-is-no-easy-task-1.263356?reminder=later)]

To be fair, and based on past professional comments by others at SWC about Rwandan troops, they might be the best African troops to send.

The choice of language in the HRW report is interesting - because it mixes "peacekeeping" with Chapter VII; from David's link (http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/car1213_web.pdf):


To the United Nations Security Council

• Authorize the deployment of a multi-dimensional UN peacekeeping mission under Chapter VII of the UN Charter with a robust mandate and the means to protect civilians, promote human rights, and create an environment conducive to the delivery of humanitarian aid.
...
To France, the United Kingdom, the European Union, the United States, and Other Concerned Governments

• Support the creation of a UN peacekeeping mission under Chapter VII of the UN Charter with a robust mandate and the means to protect civilians, promote human rights, and create an environment conducive to the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Traditionally, peacekeeping has been under Chapter VI of the Charter (http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/chapter6.shtml); whereas peace enforcement has been under Chapter VII of the Charter (http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/chapter7.shtml). Chapter VI puts the blue hats under peacetime rules of engagement; Chapter VII puts them under wartime rules of engagement.

"Humanitarian interventionists" (to include HRW and Samantha Power) have a tendency to sugarcoat their interventions; so as to distinguish them from operations by those bad "military interventionists".

Regards

Mike

Max Kelly
01-25-2014, 07:57 PM
The choice of language in the HRW report is interesting - because it mixes "peacekeeping" with Chapter VII; from David's link (http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/car1213_web.pdf):



Traditionally, peacekeeping has been under Chapter VI of the Charter (http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/chapter6.shtml); whereas peace enforcement has been under Chapter VII of the Charter (http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/chapter7.shtml). Chapter VI puts the blue hats under peacetime rules of engagement; Chapter VII puts them under wartime rules of engagement.



UN peacekeeping has evolved considerably over the last 15 years or so. Since UNAMSIL in 1999, almost all new PKOs have been authorized under Chapter VII to use force to uphold all or part of their mandates (which isn't to say they do so consistently).

Of the nearly 98,000 troops and police currently deployed to PKOs, 97% are serving under Chapter VII mandates.

The ROE for Chapter VII PKOs are certainly stronger than Chapter VI, but aren't quite 'wartime' - there are still some significant limitations for offensive ops. That said, a lot of depends on how the civilian mission leadership and military commanders on the ground choose to interpret them.

It's worth noting though that ONUC went to war against Tshombe's Katangan separatists in the 1960s under a mandate that didn't specify either chapter of the UN Charter. It just said 'go do it.'




"Humanitarian interventionists" (to include HRW and Samantha Power) have a tendency to sugarcoat their interventions; so as to distinguish them from operations by those bad "military interventionists".

Regards

Mike

I think that's painting with too broad a brush. No question there are some that don't understand military ops whatsoever, but there are others who do (Marc Garlasco, for example).

carl
01-25-2014, 09:09 PM
Reading that Stars & Stripes story about the C-17s flying in central Africa made me smile. New pilots always react like that 'Wow, there's no radar.' 'Wow, those people on the ground are walking right next to the runway.' 'Wow, those controllers can be hard to understand.' I was the same way. After a while it is 'Ok there is a family of six walking across the runway about halfway down. Hmm, they should be out of the way by the time I get there. Drive on.'

What those crews didn't say is what hardships they face are more than made up for by getting to live in Entebbe. Boy what a nice place that is.

Stan
01-26-2014, 10:12 AM
"Humanitarian interventionists" (to include HRW and Samantha Power) have a tendency to sugarcoat their interventions; so as to distinguish them from operations by those bad "military interventionists".

Regards

Mike

Mike,
Great pics as always !

A few of my own herein for your viewing pleasure.

2 of 5 C5s that descended on Ndjili airport under the guise of humanitarian roles to send hawk missile batteries to Chad along the Libyan border. Once in Zaire, the cargo would have to be transferred to AN124 aircraft that were freshly painted white with blue UN painted onto the fuselages. The nearly sober Ukrainian flight crew would supposedly then deliver the batteries. In the end, with the AN crew in town and trashed, our camouflaged birds ended up delivering the cargo anyway.

Didn’t take long for a political party to arrive in one of many versions of Air Force 1. Gotta get that passport stamped before returning home !

Having no place to sleep, we set up in an airport bathroom with embassy-provided furnishings. Yes, that’s me after 72 hours… at least the toilets were close by !

Regards, Stan

Stan
01-26-2014, 10:32 AM
Reading that Stars & Stripes story about the C-17s flying in central Africa made me smile. New pilots always react like that 'Wow, there's no radar.' 'Wow, those people on the ground are walking right next to the runway.' 'Wow, those controllers can be hard to understand.' I was the same way. After a while it is 'Ok there is a family of six walking across the runway about halfway down. Hmm, they should be out of the way by the time I get there. Drive on.'

What those crews didn't say is what hardships they face are more than made up for by getting to live in Entebbe. Boy what a nice place that is.

Hey Carl !

Recalling my HF conversation in 94 with a 141 crew still brings me to tears :D

"Cedar Radio, MAC 1234 on one eleven upper" (11176).
MAC 1234, Cedar Radio has you loud and clear, over.
"Cedar Radio, the Goma tower is not responding and we are on final approach to land 18."
MAC 1234, negative, land on 36 and I will contact the tower... maybe at lunch.
"Cedar Radio, Charlie Charlie. But there are goats and people on approach 36?"
MAC 1234, I'll get the military to sweep 36, stand by.
"Cedar, there is a huge mountain. Is that the end of the runway ?"
MAC 1234, that's the overrun and is covered in solidified lava.

After minutes of silence she landed !

TIS... This is Africa !

jmm99
01-27-2014, 03:59 AM
UN peacekeeping has evolved considerably over the last 15 years or so.

Agreed; from mid-1993, doing a cursory look through folders and files on part of my HD - e.g.:


Peace Enforcement (folder); USIP Peace Enforcement Course (folder); and (files, as named on HD) 1993 Implications for UN Peacekeepiing; 1993 The Peace-Enforcement Dilemma; 1996 Airpower and Peace Enforcement; 1997 From Peace Enforcement to Conflict Termination Operations in Africa; 1997 Allen - Lessons From Somalia, The Dilemma Of Peace Enforcement; 1998 Peace Enforcement - The Real Peace Support Challenge in Africa; 2003 Between Peacekeeping and Peace Enforcement; 2006 Peace Enforcement Operations in the DRC 2003-2005; 2007 CRS Peacekeeping and Related Stability Operations RL33557; 2009 UN Charter Basis for Astan PEO.

The online full title of the 2009 file is: Case Study on “Afghanistan”, in Blanca Antonini & al, Security Council Resolutions Under Chapter VII (http://www.academia.edu/3487121/Case_Study_on_Afghanistan_in_Blanca_Antonini_and_a l_Security_Council_Resolutions_Under_Chapter_VII_M adrid_FRIDE_2009), Madrid: FRIDE, 2009 (by Shahrbanou Tadjbakhsh)

Since today is my 40th wedding anniversary and I'm used to listening :D, it's only appropriate that I yield the floor (momentarily) to a strong, assertive woman.


Case Study on “Afghanistan”
pp. 56-57

2. What does Chapter VII really mean?

Of the three streams of resolutions for Afghanistan, ISAF and the sanctions regime were designed under the Chapter VII umbrella, while UNAMA, in virtue of being a political mission in support of the government, was not technically a Chapter VII intervention. The UN did not have police, military components or security installations, even though it did have military advisers. ISAF, however, was not accountable to the UN, despite its being authorised by the Security Council under Chapter VII.

According to an internal memo at the DPKO viewed by this project team, there is a lack of clarity about the legal basis for peacekeeping operations and the operational implication of the Security Council invocation of Chapter VII. Historically, Chapter VI was the reference for traditional peacekeeping operations and Chapter VII for enforcement-oriented operations. In recent years, the Council has adopted the practice of explicitly invoking Chapter VII (Chapter VI has never been invoked) or mandating peacekeeping forces to perform specific tasks without specifying the chapter, but drawing on the language in Chapter VII. Invocation of Chapter VII denotes the legal basis for action and signals firm political resolves as well as reminding the parties and the wider UN membership of their obligation to give effects to its decisions. Yet, as the memo noted, in reality the Council does not need to refer to a specific chapter of the Charter when adopting or extending resolutions for UN peacekeeping operations. The missions should be guided not by references to the chapters involved but by the tasks specified in their mandate, by the accompanying rules of engagement and by other directions pertaining to the use of force and international humanitarian law.

In cases like Afghanistan’s, where the UN delegated its responsibilities to a regional organisation, however, the defeating factor was that even when Chapter VII was invoked, the UN had no authority. In cases when UN authorisations happen after the use of force, as was the case in Afghanistan, where OEF operations had already started before ISAF was created, the invocation of Chapter VII may in fact mean little. The real alliance-building and decision to act happened outside of the Council’s negotiations. In this sense, invocation of Chapter VII becomes associated with forceful action. The result is the overstretching of peacekeeping in situations where there is no peace to keep — Afghanistan squarely applies in this category.

The use of Chapter VII in a resolution is supposed to invoke legitimacy and consensus from national actors. Yet, as national actors are hardly consulted in the preparation of mandates, and, as is often the case, national actors, especially in situations of regime change, may not be sufficiently accountable, the question is raised about the issues of sovereignty and national consensus. From the point of view of the national government, reference to Chapter VII does matter. Haiti, for example, had asked for the removal of references to Chapter VII in the Security Council resolutions in order to maintain investor confidence. In the case of Afghanistan, as the government, created through the UN-led Bonn process, gained capacity, legitimacy and sovereignty, it increasingly became critical of the use of force in its territory, especially in discord and in the absence of coordination with its own national forces.

Italics are where I believe we agree; bold are what I think are important points (possible discussion points) made by ST in her Case Study on “Afghanistan”.

At SWC, I've dealt with some Chapter VI, peacekeeping, and Chapter VII, peace enforcement, issues;


chapter vii charter - 13 posts
peacekeeping - 26 posts
peace enforcement - 56 posts

but more often on rules of engagement;


rules engagement - 80 posts
ROE - 74 posts
ROEs - 100 posts
SROE - 13 posts
SROEs - 18 posts

and, of couse, Hague-Geneva "stuff"; Gitmo habeas cases, etc.

Now, moving to some individual points on which we have basic agreement (I think), but where the political facts of life in the UNSC dictate the "terms of engagement".


Max:

It's worth noting though that ONUC went to war against Tshombe's Katangan separatists in the 1960s under a mandate that didn't specify either chapter of the UN Charter. It just said 'go do it.'


Case Study on “Afghanistan”

Historically, Chapter VI was the reference for traditional peacekeeping operations and Chapter VII for enforcement-oriented operations.
...
Yet, as the memo noted, in reality the Council does not need to refer to a specific chapter of the Charter when adopting or extending resolutions for UN peacekeeping operations

My only objection to the UN not citing its source of authority is same as I have to "shorthand pleading" in criminal indictments and civil complaints. That is ambiguity and an absence of command guidance. Of course, the UNSC is ruled by political expediency and the need to be vague in order to pass resolutions.

We hope that deficiency is rectified "by the tasks specified in their mandate, by the accompanying rules of engagement and by other directions pertaining to the use of force and international humanitarian law," as ST suggests above. But, is it in your opinion?

A suggestion is, where you cite somewhat exotic "stuff", you hyperlink the source if online or the full title if it's not online - e.g., "... war against Tshombe's Katangan separatists in the 1960s under a mandate ...'go do it.'"; and "... 97% are serving under Chapter VII mandates ..." Nuff said.


Max:

Since UNAMSIL in 1999, almost all new PKOs have been authorized under Chapter VII to use force to uphold all or part of their mandates (which isn't to say they do so consistently).

Of the nearly 98,000 troops and police currently deployed to PKOs, 97% are serving under Chapter VII mandates


Case Study on “Afghanistan”

In recent years, the Council has adopted the practice of explicitly invoking Chapter VII (Chapter VI has never been invoked) ...

Again, basic agreement (100% or 97% - de minimis non curat lex).

In conclusion to this Part 1, the UN Charter may need an amendment Chapter VI-1/2 (and a 1/4 and a 3/4); but we are unlikely to see a charter amendment to that effect. Hence, we have to go to "peace enforcement" with what we have.

- to be cont -

Regards

Mike

jmm99
01-27-2014, 04:25 AM
JMM
"Humanitarian interventionists" (to include HRW and Samantha Power) have a tendency to sugarcoat their interventions; so as to distinguish them from operations by those bad "military interventionists".

Max:
I think that's painting with too broad a brush. No question there are some that don't understand military ops whatsoever, but there are others who do (Marc Garlasco, for example).

This may be an instance of miscommunication (my "bad", your "bad, both "bad").

Let me start with the "bad military interventionists" ("bad" there is me being sarcastic); of which, on SWC, examples are JMM (I supported removal of Saddam et al in Iraq, but not "state building"; I supported killing UBL et al in Astan-Pstan, but not "state building"); and my friend JMA (He advocated removal of Qaddafi in Libya & Assad in Syria; I was and am negative to US intervention, military or humanitarian, in either country directly or by proxy).

Whether we cite it explicitly or not, the methodologies and historical context are summed in Stephen T. Hosmer, Operations Against Enemy Leaders (http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1385.html) (2001):


Operations targeted against senior enemy leaders have long been viewed as a potential means of shaping the policy and behavior of enemy states. As a result, the United States has launched a variety of overt and covert operations in efforts to attack enemy leaders directly, facilitate their overthrow by coup or rebellion, or secure their ouster through external invasion. This book examines a number of leadership attacks from World War II to the present to offer insights into the comparative efficacy of various forms of leadership attacks, their potential coercive and deterrent value, and the possible unintended consequences of their ill-considered use. The book concludes that direct attacks, coups, and rebellions have met with only limited success and, even when successful, have sometimes yielded counterproductive results. Moreover, neither direct attacks nor coups have been of significant coercive or deterrent value, although rebellions have at times provided useful negotiating leverage. By contrast, external invasions have proved to be more efficacious both in shaping the targeted countries’ policy and behavior and in exerting coercive effects. The book concludes by outlining the likely conditions under which future leadership attacks are likely to be sanctioned and by delineating the prerequisites of effective use of air power in such contexts.

Worth the read for anyone here who hasn't read it.

Here is an example of a limited military intervention: Special Plan Green - Mexico, which I posted 4+ years ago (link (http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/showpost.php?p=87947&postcount=582)).

I'll just copy my post here.


STP, Iraq turned out much better ... than I expected at the end of 2003. So, you and others here can take credit for that.

My questions were more addressed to the political side of "best practices COIN" in general. I see some disconnects in the concept as laid out in FMI 3-24.3. For that matter, I see the same disconnects in the 1980s Summers-Krepinevich debate, and the current Gentile-Nagl debate - all very interesting from a military standpoint (the military effort); but without any real consideration by any of them as to the political effort required.

Most particularly, what do you do with an incompetent (corrupt, etc.) HN government ?

---------------------------------
I'd quibble about what "expeditions" and "expeditionary forces" do. Of course they can invade with the purpose of occupying the country - we seem to be fixated on that, as opposed to a punitive raid no matter how gigantic it might be. FM 27-10 (http://www.afsc.army.mil/gc/files/fm27-10.pdf) (par. 352 explains the distinction).

Coincidentally, I was just re-reading parts of Brian Linn's The Echo of Battle (http://www.amazon.com/The-Echo-Battle-Armys-Way/dp/0674034791). At p.91, he deals with War Plan Green (a war with Mexico). We've had war plans for Mexico since the 1800s, but by 1922 the Mexican army was so weak that War Plan Green was changed to Special Plan Green, an occupation plan not unlike what we intended for Iraq: the army would establish a government, reform the education and legal systems, employ honest police and civil servants, with the clear and expressed US intention to create "peace and good order."

Now, it came to pass in 1924 that Special Plan Green was war gamed; and, surprise, the most probable COA for the Mexicans was not to resist the main invasion columns, but to wait a while and then engage in guerrilla warfare, etc. The majority staff conclusion was that the occupation would morph into a long, slow and frustrating unconventional war.

So, in 1927, Special Plan Green was amended to provide for a rapidly moving direct attack with the purpose of deposing the Mexican government, and then immediately withdrawing. The plan required that it be made clear that it did not intend a military occupation, was not an operation against the Mexican nation, but was an operation against the Mexican government.

OK, in Linn's terminology, I'm just a dinosaur "Guardian" of the "Never Again but" school, who apparently sees disconnects where others don't.

The "humanitarian interventionists" (which may very well include you ;)) rely primarily on Responsibility to Protect (SWC thread (http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/showthread.php?t=14894))(searching R2P; 75 posts on SWC, including the thread cited); although, as Syria illustrates, multiple legal theories may be asserted.

My point (an opinion) was simply that "humanitarian interventionists" tend to sugarcoat their interventions as something that they are not (e.g., "peacekeeping", "save the children", etc.). I didn't say anything about the military operational expertise of "humanitarian interventionists", because that is not material to my point which addresses their agitprop.

As to Marc Garlasco (interesting Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Garlasco); he's a bit controversial), his military operational expertise can be evaluated by professional militrary SWC members if they wish. It's not material to my point about "sugarcoating". His controversies are also not material to my point.

-----------------------------------------------------------

To sample Max Kelly's writings, readers of this post may want to read a chapter in Eduarda P. Hamann and Robert Muggah (eds.), IMPLEMENTING THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT: NEW DIRECTIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY? (http://pt.igarape.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/e-Book_R2P_EN_16abr_web.pdf) (2013), see chap. 7. Fighting for Their Lives: R2P, RwP and the Utility of Force to Protect Civilians, Max Kelly (shown in living color).

See also,

Kelly (with Giffen), Military Planning to Protect: Proposed Guidance for United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (http://www.stimson.org/images/uploads/research-pdfs/3_-_Military_Planning_To_Protect_Civilians_2011.pdf) (2011; Washington, DC: Stimson Center);

Kelly, Protecting Civilians: Principles for Military Operations (http://www.stimson.org/images/uploads/research-pdfs/Stimson_Protecting_Civilians_Military_Principles.p df)(2010);

Holt & Taylor (with Kelly), Protecting Civilians in the Context of UN Peacekeeping Operations: Successes, Setbacks and Major Challenges (http://www.peacekeepingbestpractices.unlb.org/pbps/Library/Protecting%20Civilians%20in%20the%20Context%20of%2 0UN%20PKO.pdf) (2009).

Regards

Mike

davidbfpo
02-20-2014, 08:18 PM
A lengthy newspaper article by a HRW observer:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/centralafricanrepublic/10638550/The-hellish-descent-of-the-Central-African-Republic.html

It is very clear that the AU & French intervention is making little difference, with reports this week of more French troops en route and nights filled with gunfire. Put simply the two communities that have lived together - outside of the northern Muslim area - are splitting apart.

Bear in mind the AU & French are mainly, if not exclusively in the capital Bangui, so what is happening elsewhere is unclear.

davidbfpo
02-26-2014, 08:09 PM
A critique of the French claim to not understand the situation in CAR, it starts with:
Speaking at a United Nations event marking 20 years since the Rwandan genocide, France’s ambassador to the UN, Gerard Araud, said his government had seriously underestimated the level of hatred between Christian and Muslim communities in the Central African Republic. He said on 15th January that African Union and French forces deployed in the CAR were facing a “nearly impossible” situation. The crux of the problem was that they were dealing with “two communities who want to kill each other”. He emphasised that “they desperately want to kill each other…We knew that there was some inter-sectarian violence, but we didn’t forecast such deep ingrained hatred.”

Forgive me if I seem cynical about this, but the French have been involved in CAR for over 120 years – carving out a territory that bore no relation to ethnic, linguistic or other indigenous factors and did not take into account existing boundaries of communities. Before colonial occupation, the region was no different from any other – experiencing trade, inter-marriage and, at times, raiding and conflict between different communities. It wasn’t some peaceful Eden, but nor was it riven by endemic warfare or hatred between its peoples.

Link:http://africanarguments.org/2014/01/16/france-chad-gaddafi-and-the-car-years-of-meddling-should-not-be-ignored-now-by-keith-somerville/

KingJaja
02-26-2014, 09:39 PM
davidbfpo,

I've always insisted that one of Africa's major problems is the proliferation of artificial states & artificial systems imposed on by Europeans with absolutely zero appreciation of local conditions.

US was never a serious colonial power, so is naive about the true genesis of Africa's predicament, too uninterested to get involved & too trusting of former colonial powers (especially France).

But water must eventually find its level. Just like Sykes-Picot is unraveling in the Middle East, the "Berlin Conference" must unravel in Africa.

As an aside - consider Cameroon, the presence of Boko Haram in neighbouring Nigeria, a succession crisis when Paul Biya finally kicks the bucket (he's 81) and Central African Republic next door - make it the next likely candidate for destabilization.

JMA
02-27-2014, 06:37 PM
davidbfpo,

I've always insisted that one of Africa's major problems is the proliferation of artificial states & artificial systems imposed on by Europeans with absolutely zero appreciation of local conditions.

Remind my again of what was there before the Europeans arrived?

jmm99
02-28-2014, 06:49 PM
Created by Local Conditions - such as by Shaka in your own Natal, Mark. ;)

Or, I suppose one could, as another example, begin with Rhodesia's Tribal Trust Lands (and all the different tribes occupying them);

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Rhodesialand.png/300px-Rhodesialand.png

and then go back in time to before CJR and look at the "natural state" of things in the mid-1800s; and also look to the time before Shaka, since his "natural" activities in the south seem to have added to the tribal mix to the north.

The question really isn't what caused "modern-day" sub-Saharan Africa. The question is what plan do the Africans (not a bunch of "mindele", here at SWC or elsewhere) have to correct the obvious problems.

Perhaps, the Africans might go back to the "natural states and natural systems" of the era before the "mindele" colonialists came (take a time machine to between 1500 and the later 1800s depending on area). Perhaps, they could organize the (literally) thousands of sub-Saharan ethnicities ("tribes") into some coherent framework of "natural", "national" governments. Perhaps, we might see something like this:

http://www.rhodesia.me.uk/images/People-tribalstructure.jpg

In any event, it would be nice for an African to present a tangible plan for the creation of African states based on the "natural state" of the African ethnicities who live there.

For example, what would the "natural" (and presumably "better") Central African Republics (plural) look like ? I won't hold my breath waiting for the map.

Regards

Mike

carl
02-28-2014, 07:51 PM
Mike:

The way I always heard it pronounced was mundele, as in mun (rhymes with bun) de (as in de in de Bears) lay.

KingJaja
02-28-2014, 10:15 PM
jmm99,

The first stage is for Africans to discuss the internal political architecture of their nations. This happened in the Republic of Benin - and that nation has been stable ever since.

In nations like CAR, a combination of French meddling, hasty formation & a history of mutual distrust makes this process difficult - but it must proceed.

Nations like US prioritise outward signs of stability and elections over the less sexy & more important & difficult work of national cohesion & nation building.

Africa's problems are for Africans to solve. My point is that after the seemingly endless cycle of violence and external intervention - at a certain point, some unstable states will either fall apart permanently or work out an indigenous solution to their teething problems.

CAR for example, has bifurcated - it a essentially a "Christian" enclave in the South and a much smaller "Muslim" enclave in the North. No amount of elections will change that essential reality. And international community is wasting time by impeding the process of formation of two independent separate states in that part of the World.

In my native Nigeria, we are preparing for a National Dialogue, a three month discussion on what different ethnic nationalities want from the Nigerian state. This goes beyond mere elections, Africa's artificial states have flawed foundations and the best way forward is for locals to proactively discuss these challenges and build a state that caters to their needs (not a mere ex-colonial administrative unit).

jmm99
03-01-2014, 12:51 AM
As Stan will tell you, I can't pronounce English - or, at least, I have an "odd" accent ! So, perhaps, "mndele" would be a better way to write it - leaving the initial vowel sound up for grabs. :D

However, since it seems both of us are easily launched on insatiable quests for knowledge (not a bad thing), I've now looked at a couple of Lingala online translators - note that I was using the word in the plural ("a bunch of mindele" and "the mindele colonialists") - and here we go:

translation / dictionary Lingala - English (http://dic.lingala.be/en/):


mindele
exists as the plural of singular "mondele", "mundele"

mondele, noun, pl. mindele (class 3 / 4 : mo- (mu-) / mi- (objets))
mundele, noun, pl. mindele (class 3 / 4 : mo- (mu-) / mi- (objets)) (kin)

white (white man)
zombie
European-style person
person with light skin color
whale

FREELANG Lingala-English and English-Lingala online dictionary (http://www.freelang.net/online/lingala.php?lg=gb):


Searching for: white (4 results)
white mondele
A white car Motuka ya mpembe
white mpmbe
white? pembe?

and

Searching for: whites (1 results)
whites mindele

So, it seems that both of us are correct. :)

-----------------------------
KingJaja:


Africa's problems are for Africans to solve. My point is that after the seemingly endless cycle of violence and external intervention - at a certain point, some unstable states will either fall apart permanently or work out an indigenous solution to their teething problems.

CAR for example, has bifurcated - it a essentially a "Christian" enclave in the South and a much smaller "Muslim" enclave in the North. No amount of elections will change that essential reality. And international community is wasting time by impeding the process of formation of two independent separate states in that part of the World.

In my native Nigeria, we are preparing for a National Dialogue, a three month discussion on what different ethnic nationalities want from the Nigerian state. This goes beyond mere elections, Africa's artificial states have flawed foundations and the best way forward is for locals to proactively discuss these challenges and build a state that caters to their needs (not a mere ex-colonial administrative unit).

Yes (we've discussed this before).

But, why didn't you say that from the start - rather than playing the old "big bad colonialists; run, run, the white giants are coming" card ?

That era ended 50 years ago - despite Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z1P2BezuZA) - and the modern-day "Rolands" are not from the "Land of the Midnight Sun". It's time that both Africans and Europeans understood that. You and I long ago agreed that the US should not be a major African player.

Regards

Mike

PS: And, there's still the Roland game - animated Zevon (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3YKfYH42C0) !!

carl
03-01-2014, 03:54 AM
Mike:

Mndele and mindele work for me.

In Congo anyway I think they use the word for a westerner of any color. At least that was what a black American former Peace Corps worker told me once. He was drunk and headed for a cliff at night and the people in the village were yelling that they were going to lose their mndele.

jmm99
03-01-2014, 04:51 AM
In the case of the African-American PCer (singular), the Lingala online translators give either mundele or mondele (one "white" person; interesting that the second meaning is "zombie").

The distinction between mu an mo may something like the name Mattila in the Copper Country - usually pronounced Mat-tila (as in "mat" or the first name Matt), but among the "true Finns" pronounced as Mut-tila.

The singular form "mundele" has "dominated" the discussions at SWC (9 posts, soon to be 10) going back to a Brit in 2008, but mostly by Stan and you. :D

The "Roland Game (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3YKfYH42C0)" was a new one for me. It has an inaccuracy in its geography; having Roland flying from Norway to Biafra - located in Northwest Nigeria !! (0:30) - as opposed to:

http://www.blackpast.org/files/blackpast_images/biafra.jpg

The real Biafra should be close to (or is) KingJaja country.

In any event, the Roland song has kept growing on me since Dayuhan sorta suggested it as SWC's theme song. Turns out it was Zevon's last performance (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIC4j6Rn9s4) before he died of cancer.

Roland's song doesn't fit the usual American solution to foreign "problem children" - which boils down to "Send Lawyers, Guns and Money (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPlMmwOq7U8)" ... "The $hit has hit the fan." - Samantha Power's call to the WH after meeting the troops. :rolleyes:

Regards

Mike

JMA
03-01-2014, 08:42 AM
As Stan will tell you, I can't pronounce English - or, at least, I have an "odd" accent ! So, perhaps, "mndele" would be a better way to write it - leaving the initial vowel sound up for grabs. :D

However, since it seems both of us are easily launched on insatiable quests for knowledge (not a bad thing), I've now looked at a couple of Lingala online translators - note that I was using the word in the plural ("a bunch of mindele" and "the mindele colonialists") - and here we go:

Ok then:

White man in local languages around here - South and east coast:

Umlungu – South Africa (isiZulu)
Mzungu – Malawi (ChiChewa) and Kenya (kiSwahili)
Murungu – Zimbabwe (ChiShona)
Lekgowa – Botswana (Tswana)

Stan
03-01-2014, 10:47 PM
Gents,
Carl is correct... The word Mundele was a generalization for a Westerner regardless of skin color. Although an often offending word if you were French or Belg, it was not some racial term. In Lingala, many things are tied to the verb (and there's only 100 verbs to choose from), not necessarily plural or singular as most would think or were taught. If it could be so easy with less than 800 words :rolleyes:

If you want a real "nut buster" we could all start using Finnish along with Mike's slang :D

I was often reminded by elders just how great the (Belgian) colonial times were in both Léopoldville (K-town) and Stanleyville (Kisangani). Surprisingly enough, there was more hatred (or jealousy) against/among the various tribes than any former Western power.

Regards, Stan

JMA
03-01-2014, 11:14 PM
I was often reminded by elders just how great the (Belgian) colonial times were in both Lopoldville (K-town) and Stanleyville (Kisangani). Surprisingly enough, there was more hatred (or jealousy) against/among the various tribes than any former Western power.

Stan, how many of your compatriots understand this?

Stan
03-02-2014, 10:07 AM
Stan, how many of your compatriots understand this?

Hey Mark !

None in civilian clothes. Strange how military can just sense things like this.

I've said this at least 1,000 times.... we suck at Africa and we are not interested in some investment like training people to understand and appreciate what and who they are dealing with.

How goes it ?

Regards, Stan

JMA
03-02-2014, 11:07 AM
Hey Mark !

None in civilian clothes. Strange how military can just sense things like this.

I've said this at least 1,000 times.... we suck at Africa and we are not interested in some investment like training people to understand and appreciate what and who they are dealing with.

How goes it ?

Regards, Stan

As you were close to the people on the ground you would learn... even if you arrived with preconceived ideas - which happens all the time in Africa - you will leave with an understanding of the truth on the ground.

But here is the rub for the civilians - especially the liberals... most can't return and tell their liberal friends that they had it wrong and this is the truth as they now understand it... they would be shunned.

It is this lack of understanding of how Africa 'works' that leads to aid and interventions being misguided and misdirected. Its a continuing sad story.

In the case of the CAR how is it possible that the French having been there for 120 years continue to display a near total misunderstanding of the dynamics in that country? Quite pathetic.

Just spent a year in West Africa. Listened to what the locals said and only asked expats their opinion to see how way off the mark they were... which is sadly pathetic.

davidbfpo
04-03-2014, 05:49 PM
The AU / UN intervention in CAR remains in trouble trying to stop bloodshed, although with little reporting of late. So the decision of Chad to withdraw will reduce the mission, even if the Chadian soldiers being Muslim are not seen as neutral:
Chad has contributed roughly 850 soldiers to a 6,000-strong contingent.....The statement said the forces would remain in CAR while the details of the withdrawal were being worked out.

Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-26873572

davidbfpo
04-06-2014, 12:07 PM
A rare BBC report from outside Bangui, CAR's capital:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26817382


The cauldron of hatred has been stirred by failed politicians who want to stage a comeback, and by the country's northern neighbour, Chad, covetous of Central Africa's resources.

But it is partly about jealousy between those who had political power but were poor - the Christian majority - and those excluded from politics who seemed slightly richer - the Muslims, Central Africa's main traders and herders.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Saturday in CAR:
French and African soldiers serving in Central African Republic are "overwhelmed" by the "state of anarchy" in the country

A larger UN mission is planned, although who will provide troops is unknown and only expected to arrive in September. An EU battalion group is due to arrive soon.

Do I sense a photo-opportunity is coming?
The US ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, plans to visit Central African Republic next week.

Link:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/centralafricanrepublic/10747572/Peacekeepers-in-Central-African-Republic-overwhelmed-says-Ban-Ki-moon.html

davidbfpo
06-09-2014, 04:32 PM
A first-hand report from Bangui, which includes:
The CAR’s interim president, Catherine Samba-Panza, has few of the tools most heads of state rely on to restore order – the army is not allowed to carry guns and her administration has almost no political skills.

(Later) The latest internal peacekeeping crisis shines an unwelcome light on soldiers from Congo-Brazzaville. Human Rights Watch has documented a number of cases of torture, murder and abduction of locals by the Congolese in areas under their watch. In September the AU forces will change the colour of their helmets and become United Nations peacekeepers.

Link:http://mg.co.za/article/2014-06-05-disarmed-to-the-teeth-in-bangui

davidbfpo
07-25-2014, 02:13 PM
With the MSM focus being elsewhere I doubt few outside Africa noted diplomacy has ended with a multi-faction ceasefire agreement in Brazzaville:http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2014-07-25-the-car-ceasefire-a-very-small-step-towards-stability/#.U9JQFKORcdV

Needless to say some are sceptical that it can be effective:
I see the ceasefire as a non-event,” said David Smith, director of South Africa-based media firm Okapi Consulting and an expert on the region. “Disarmament is not part of the deal, and that's what Central Africans want most.

davidbfpo
09-15-2014, 01:59 PM
Hurrah? From VOA:
A United Nations peacekeeping force will deploy Monday in the Central African Republic.....The Security Council authorized the force, known as MINUSCA, to take all necessary means to carry out its mandate in the CAR. For many in Bangui this means that the U.N. troops will not hesitate to use force against armed groups.... Most of the 6,000 African Union troops already in the CAR will join the new U.N. mission.....new troops from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia have recently arrived. According to the United Nations, a 400 member U.N. police force will be deployed in the coming weeks in Bangui.A note of realism from MSF:
It seems that forces will look different. But right now, we are not confident [in] their efficiency in the coming months in CAR..We have been noticing that although things are improving in Bangui in terms of security, it is not the case in the rest of the country..
Link:http://www.voanews.com/content/un-peacekeepers-to-deploy-in-central-african-republic/2449591.html

The two thousand French troops are not part of the UN mission:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29213557

Do they have an exit plan?

davidbfpo
09-16-2014, 12:57 PM
A pungent comment by David Smith, director of South Africa-based media firm Okapi Consulting and an expert on the region:
But if history teaches us anything, and it should, then Minusca is likely to be as successful as its numerous predecessors. From the time of Misab and Minurca…through Bonuca, Binuca, Fomuc, Fomac, Micopax, Misca and now Minusca we have, to a large extent, many of the same players trying to do the same thing all over again – stabilise the country and prepare the ground for presidential elections. The big problem is that MINUSCA is preparing the ground for, to a large extent, many of the same people who have been looting and pillaging the CAR for decades to take over once again.

The peacekeeping effort needs drastic surgery that includes a strong and lengthy mandate that help to create a new network of functionaries, politicians and professionals that can start building the institutions any normal country has for running a country and providing the services and infrastructural needs that have yet to be created in this shadow of a state.


My biggest fear concerning MINUSCA is that once the UN containers are packed up in a year, two years, three years from now, the same people, both inside and outside the country who have benefited from a culture of impunity will be free to carry on as they have been since founding father Barthelemy Boganda was killed in a plane crash in 1959. What will the next peacekeeping mission be called?

Link:http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2014-09-16-when-green-hats-turn-blue-the-un-takes-over-in-the-central-african-republic/#.VBgUvVeRcdV

davidbfpo
10-01-2014, 10:33 PM
A fascinating backgrounder on CAR, on land ownership - an issue I don't recall being mentioned before. Here is one passage:
Stare at the situation long enough and CAR’s problems can largely be whittled down to two issues: how the state hands out concessions and leases to individuals and corporations with vested interests; and how Bangui defines land that is “not put to proper use”—land that sits fallow or is not mined or logged quickly enough.

Link:http://gga.org/stories/editions/aif-27-on-the-fence/land-rights-and-reconciliation-1/?

davidbfpo
12-13-2014, 11:24 AM
An update on CAR, which rightly explains the context for the communal violence, with 'human terrain' details and a far from optimistic passage indicates this will be another long-haul peacekeeping operation:
For that to happen, violence in the CAR must be brought under control. The U.N. peacekeeping mission, supported by French and European Union forces, will need to act forcefully to protect civilians, standing their ground when the Seleka or anti-balaka threaten civilians. They face a difficult task, with almost no local security forces with which to work. Former soldiers of the national army and local gendarmes have left their posts; many have joined the anti-balaka, whose top leadership is almost completely made up of former army and police commanders. But reorganizing and rearming the army is considered too risky a solution at the moment. Many Seleka soldiers want to join a newly constituted army, but their own horrific record of abuse and the hostility they are likely to face from the population means that integrating them will be difficult.

Link:http://foreignpolicy.com/2014/12/11/escape-from-a-nightmare-car-muslims-seleka-anti-balaka/

davidbfpo
01-04-2015, 01:37 PM
A profoundly depressing first-hand account of a journey through the CAR. The thread's title 'Fragile, failed and forlorn' hardly seems appropriate. Maybe now it should be No Hope Here?

Link:http://features.hrw.org/features/Unravelling_central_african_republic/index.php

davidbfpo
04-29-2015, 03:07 PM
A senior (Swedish) United Nations aid worker has been suspended for disclosing to prosecutors an internal report on the sexual abuse of children by French peacekeeping troops in the Central African Republic (http://www.theguardian.com/world/central-african-republic). Sources close to the case said Anders Kompass passed the document to the French authorities because of the UN’s failure to take action to stop the abuse. The report documented the sexual exploitation of children as young as nine by French troops stationed in the country as part of international peacekeeping efforts.
Link:http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/29/un-aid-worker-suspended-leaking-report-child-abuse-french-troops-car

davidbfpo
05-12-2015, 09:48 PM
Maybe some hope for CAR (the size of Texas), which starts with:
More than two years after rebels in the Central African Republic (CAR) captured the country's capital Bangui and set off a cycle of retribution and ethnic cleansing, 10 groups in the war-torn nation have agreed to lay down their arms.
The agreement, reached Sunday, is the culmination of a national peace forum that began last week in Bangui and included civil society, youth, women, and local representatives. UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon welcomed the decision and called for "its swift and full implementation."
Link:https://news.vice.com/article/tentative-peace-reached-in-central-african-republic-after-two-years-of-brutal-fighting?

A different viewpoint:https://www.opendemocracy.net/opensecurity/morten-b%C3%B8%C3%A5s/central-african-republic-long-and-winding-road

davidbfpo
10-30-2015, 02:22 PM
A lengthy report by a FP journalist on the realities outside Bangui, for the people and the armed groups:https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/10/28/one-day-we-will-start-a-big-war-central-african-republic-un-violence/?

It appears - once again - the French are tiring of engagement and if they withdraw the 'blue berets' will lose their most robust troops. Tired, why?

France has intervened militarily five times since 1979 and maintained an active military presence for all but four years — 1999 to 2003 — during that period.

Interesting section on troops from the DRC:
On the way back from meeting with the anti-Balaka fighters, my translator and I stumbled into a tense standoff between Congolese U.N. peacekeepers and armed youths of the Fulani ethnic group, from which many of the ex-Seleka fighters are drawn. (Given the abundance of armed men in Bambari and the fluid membership of armed groups there, it can be difficult to distinguish ex-Seleka fighters from gun-toting Fulani civilians.) The youths, some of whom brandished AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades, were arguing bitterly with the peacekeepers, who remained remarkably serene in the face of superior firepower.

SWJ Blog
12-20-2016, 03:22 PM
The Central African Republic: $2.2 Billion Won’t Buy Peace (http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/the-central-african-republic-22-billion-won%E2%80%99t-buy-peace)

Read the full post (http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/the-central-african-republic-22-billion-won%E2%80%99t-buy-peace) and make any comments at the SWJ Blog (http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog).

davidbfpo
02-15-2017, 01:18 PM
A rare BBC report on the CAR and the problems facing the UN peacekeepers, known as MINUSCA; with the faraway setting in Washington DC:
Welcome to the world of the warlords. We may be seeing a lot more of them if President Trump keeps his promise to scale back American support for UN peacekeeping. Currently the US supplies 28.57% of the total budget for UN deployments.I was not aware MINUSCA had attack helicopters:
The fact that UN attack helicopters were deployed at the weekend proves this. Not only in the CAR, but in trouble spots across the globe there will be warlords and beleaguered civilians watching what happens next.Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-38967461

Since this conflict is often along Christian -v- Muslim lines, would President Trump remove funding?

davidbfpo
06-30-2017, 04:52 PM
From MSF a report on the deterioration in CAR, in the countryside and in places previously unaffected:
Last year, CAR had the second highest number of violent incidents in the world – second only to SyriaIt appears few wish to help:
The United Nations estimates that more than two million people, almost half of the country’s inhabitants, depend on foreign aid. Around US$400 million is required: they haven't even been able to raise 13 percent of this figure.Link:https://www.msf.org.uk/article/car-people-are-survival-mode?

There is a BBC News report from March 2015 (6 mins), by Fergal Keane, which illustrates how difficult the CAR is - for the UN peacekeepers:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybHcjMcadTc

davidbfpo
08-23-2017, 11:21 AM
Crikey SWJ has an article on CAR! It is a brief overview. See:http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/the-danger-of-not-supplementing-aid-to-africa-with-arms-the-case-of-the-central-african-rep

The second article via an academic opinion website reminds the reader how desperate the CAR is:
It has a population of 4.6 million (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-13150040) people. Since 2013, the country has been embroiled in a civil war (https://www.cfr.org/interactives/global-conflict-tracker#%21/conflict/violence-in-the-central-african-republic) that has left half the population in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, and displaced nearly 1 million people. Half of those have sought refuge in neighbouring countries.Link:https://theconversation.com/for-the-central-african-republic-there-will-be-no-peace-without-justice-81403? (https://theconversation.com/for-the-central-african-republic-there-will-be-no-peace-without-justice-81403?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20 for%20August%2023%202017%20-%2081356588&utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20f or%20August%2023%202017%20-%2081356588+CID_cf5553e59076acc13dddb2bcb3657a71&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk&utm_term=For%20the%20Central%20African%20Republic% 20there%20will%20be%20no%20peace%20without%20justi ce)

davidbfpo
04-13-2018, 06:58 PM
This article appeared in the NYT on March 22nd and has now appeared on the SWJ Blog (which is no longer indexed on the Forum). The article apparently aroused some criticism.
Link to original NY column: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/23/opinion/sunday/central-african-republic-conflict.html? (https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/23/opinion/sunday/central-african-republic-conflict.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Fnicholas-kristof&action=click&contentCollection=opinion&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection) and SWJ Blog's commentary:http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/new-york-times-got-more-right-wrong-about-central-african-republic

davidbfpo
08-05-2018, 10:21 AM
After the reporting three Russian investigative reporters had been ambushed and killed there have been a few short reports, this one appears to be far better: 'Murdered Russian Journalists In Africa Were Onto Something Dangerous for Putin; They were on the trail of mercenaries with close ties to the Kremlin in a war-torn country full of diamonds and gold'
Link:https://www.thedailybeast.com/murdered-russian-journalists-in-africa-were-onto-something-dangerous-for-putin?

AdamG
08-23-2018, 01:49 AM
https://www.thedailybeast.com/russian-journalists-murdered-in-africa-may-have-been-set-up


On the ground, for the benefit of their Russian employers the mercenaries can then “raid, seize, and exploit” natural resources, as Avramov and Trad put it.

davidbfpo
12-15-2018, 10:15 PM
From Amnesty International and the report starts:
The United Nations must carry out a thorough investigation into UN peacekeeping troops’ response to a recent attack that killed as many as 100 civilians in a displaced persons camp in the Central African Republic, Amnesty International said today in a new report (https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr19/9573/2018/en/).

According to multiple eyewitnesses, UN peacekeepers did not engage an attack by an armed group but instead retreated in an armoured vehicle to their central base, leaving thousands of civilians unprotected at the camp in Alindao on 15 November.

An immediate and impartial inquiry must focus, in particular, on whether the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) failed in its duty to protect the lives of more than 18,000 people residing at the site.

The UN soldiers were from Mauritania.
Link:https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2018/12/car-up-to-100-civilians-shot-and-burnt-alive-as-un-peacekeepers-leave-posts-in-alindao/

davidbfpo
02-20-2019, 09:31 AM
From The Soufan Group:


Earlier this month, fourteen armed groups from Central African Republic agreed to a peace agreement following talks in Khartoum, Sudan.



The Central African Republic has been devastated by instability and widespread ethnic conflict since 2013 following a coup that same year.



Government control does not extend beyond the capital and the humanitarian situation is dire, with nearly a half million refugees.



There is a critical need to integrate opposing armed groups into a national army and ensure that each group has political representation.


Link:https://thesoufancenter.org/intelbrief-a-tenuous-peace-deal-in-the-central-african-republic/

Sadly this is all too optimistic from this faraway armchair.

Recently I spotted via YouTube a long film clip on Portuguese paratroopers fighting through a CAR village:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knqnPnlflLQ

AdamG
03-19-2019, 11:05 PM
Minusca, the U.N. peacekeeping force in the country, sent peacekeepers to the site of the clashes, spokesperson Vladimir Monteiro told AFP. Its troops there had come under fire a day earlier, he added.

On Wednesday, the General Staff of the Portuguese Armed Forces said that paratroopers had deployed to Bambari, using its General Dynamics Pandur II wheeled armored vehicles for the first time in Africa.

On Thursday, the Portuguese “blue helmets spent five hours in direct combat” with UPC militants “with the objective of protecting civilians and restoring peace, interposing itself between the opposition group and the defenseless civilian population,” the General Staff said.

https://thedefensepost.com/2019/01/10/portugal-paratroopers-5-hour-firefight-upc-bambari-central-african-republic

davidbfpo
04-25-2019, 11:20 AM
Eleanor Beevor, an IISS analyst, has a commentary which opens with:
The latest attempts by the government of the Central African Republic to reach an accommodation with armed groups are a disheartening repetition of a failed formula. The price of this limited calm will be high, warns Eleanor Beevor.
Link:https://www.iiss.org/blogs/analysis/2019/04/central-african-republic-armed-groups