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Central African Republic: Medical staff must be allowed to do their work
GENEVA – Since clashes erupted in Bangui on 5 December, the population has been seized with fear. The ICRC is calling for the work of medical and humanitarian personnel to be facilitated to enable them to meet the most urgent needs.
“One of our main concerns is to ensure that the injured and the sick are able to obtain care. Most health-care facilities in Bangui are closed,” said Bonaventure Bazirutwabo, the ICRC’s health coordinator in the city. “In addition, because some medical staff do not feel secure enough to go to work, there is a real risk that the sick could be left to fend for themselves at the very time the crisis is unfolding.”
For the capital’s inhabitants, especially those who have taken refuge at designated sites, it has become very difficult to obtain health care. The community hospital is the only functioning care facility. “We are calling on the authorities and on all armed men to spare the wounded and medical staff and facilities,” said Arnaud de Baecque, deputy head of the ICRC delegation in the Central African Republic. Since the start of the crisis, the ICRC and the Central African Red Cross have taken six pregnant women and 51 injured people to Bangui’s community hospital.
“There is still considerable tension and fear in the capital,” said Mr de Baecque. “Thousands of people taking refuge in places of worship or with host families are living in harsh conditions. They have no idea what tomorrow will bring.”
Since 7 December, the ICRC has provided maize, beans, cooking oil, salt, rice and kitchen utensils for 35,000 displaced people in the city, including 12,000 at the Don Bosco centre and 9,000 at the Boy-Rabe monastery. In addition, it has installed tap stands to distribute water and built latrines at the monastery and for 40,000 people at the airport displacement site.
The ICRC, which has 40 expatriate and 200 local staff in the country, is continuing its dialogue with the authorities and with all forces on the ground in Bangui. It is insisting that civilians be spared and that Red Cross personnel and medical staff be allowed to carry out their work unimpeded.
Most of the ICRC’s humanitarian activities in the country have been taking place in close cooperation with the Central African Red Cross, which had more than 200 volunteers in the field at the peak of the crisis.
Since 5 December, the ICRC has also:
● delivered food to detainees and guards – 50 people in all – in a detention centre in Bangui;
● provided logistical and financial support enabling the Central African Red Cross to bury 263 bodies;
● assessed the needs of 78,000 people at five sites in Bangui.
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) have disclosed details of their recent closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu, explaining that the engagement focused on strengthening Nigeria’s democratic process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The clarification came amid speculation surrounding the meeting, which took place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja after leaders of several opposition parties attended an Iftar dinner hosted by the president earlier in the week.
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Speaking during a gathering hosted in Abuja by the SDP’s former presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo on Friday, the party’s National Chairman, Prof. Sadiq Gombe, said the meeting with Tinubu followed an official invitation from the Presidency and lasted about an hour.
According to Gombe, the discussion centred on the need to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral laws and restore public confidence in the country’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 polls.
He explained that the meeting provided an opportunity for party leaders to remind the president of the importance of conducting transparent, free, and credible elections.
Gombe noted that democracy can only thrive when governments listen to the concerns of citizens and ensure electoral processes that guarantee fairness and accountability.
The SDP chairman also expressed concern over growing voter apathy, pointing to the low turnout recorded in the recent Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory.
He said the Abuja Municipal Area Council election witnessed only about seven per cent voter turnout, which he described as a clear sign that many Nigerians are losing confidence in the electoral system.
Gombe urged the government and members of the National Assembly to take urgent steps to review electoral laws and rebuild public trust in Nigeria’s democracy.
Also speaking, the National Chairman of IPAC, Dr. Yusuf Dantalle, said political parties used the meeting to raise concerns about aspects of proposed electoral reforms, particularly issues related to indirect primaries and the mandatory electronic transmission of results.
Dantalle explained that the parties appealed to the president to use his influence to encourage legislative review where necessary, noting that reforms should strengthen, rather than complicate, the democratic process.
He expressed optimism that Tinubu would consider the concerns raised and support necessary amendments that would improve the electoral system.
The IPAC chairman also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strictly adhere to electoral guidelines as preparations for the next election cycle begin.
Earlier in his remarks, Adebayo cautioned political actors against turning the 2027 general elections into a do-or-die contest, stressing that the primary goal of democracy should be the progress and stability of Nigeria rather than personal political victories.
He urged leaders across political parties to encourage citizens to actively participate in the democratic process and ensure that elections are conducted peacefully and transparently.
President Bola Tinubu and Mr. Taiwo Oyedele during his nomination on Wednesday.
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