CAR Central African Republic: Fragile, failed and forlorn

[davidbfpo]

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]

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/worl...n-Ki-moon.html

[davidbfpo]

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-d...eeth-in-bangui

[davidbfpo]

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/artic.../#.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]

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-pe...c/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]

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/artic.../#.VBgUvVeRcdV

[davidbfpo]

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-...nciliation-1/?