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Central African Republic : Urgent need for UN peacekeepers
PARIS – 752 deaths in Bangui and more than one thousand across the country have been identified in the last month in the Central African Republic (CAR).
FIDH is gravely concerned by the chaos that prevails despite the reinforcement of troops from the African-led International Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA) and from the intervention of the French armed forces mandated by the UN Security Council Resolution of 5 December 2013.
Since the attack led by the Anti-Balaka against elements of the Seleka on 5 December 2013 in Bangui, intercommunal violence in the capital has resulted in 752 deaths and more than 300 injured. Throughout the country there have been more than a thousand deaths and hundreds injured, raped, and their houses set on fire, resulting in one million displaced persons in the CAR to date.
“The result of these recent attacks is especially horrendous since it comes on the heels of the many crimes – murders, kidnappings, rape, looting – committed by elements of the Seleka since the coup of 24 March 2013. The civilian population is totally unsafe. The worst is feared if the international community doesn’t react accordingly,” declared Karim Lahidji, FIDH President.
This situation requires the urgent deployment of additional international troops into the CAR, and FIDH is thus calling on the African Union to reinforce the MISCA. Moreover, since its investigation into the situation in the CAR, FIDH insists on the importance of the rapid establishment of a UN peacekeeping operation in the CAR. Only such a mission can deploy the human, logistical and budgetary resources required to guarantee the safety of the civilian population in Bangui as well as throughout the CAR.
“The establishment of a UN peacekeeping mission would, in addition to providing security for the population, respond to the crisis through a holistic approach including necessary support to the transitional institutions and the protection of human rights, particularly the fight against impunity for the most serious crimes,” declared Paul Nsapu, FIDH Secretary General.
FIDH urges the Economic Community of the Central African States, who will be holding an extraordinary summit on 9 January 2014 in N’Djamena, and on the African Union, which will be hosting its Summit from 21 to 31 January 2014, to call for MISCA to transform into a UN peacekeeping mission as soon as possible. FIDH calls on the members of the Security Council to review as quickly as possible the Secretary General’s report with recommendations for this possible UN mission in order to ensure its deployment as soon as possible. FIDH is also calling on the international community to come to the aid of the CAR and to mobilise massively during the meeting of donors scheduled to take place on 1 February 2014 in Addis Ababa, particularly since the call for contributions made by the UN to fund humanitarian needs in the CAR has not received sufficient response in order to deal with the current and growing crisis.
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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