Central African Republic
Expected Council Action
In October, the Security Council will hold a briefing and consultations on the Secretary-General’s latest report on the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). Special Representative for the Central African Republic (CAR) and Head of MINUSCA Valentine Rugwabiza is expected to brief.
Key Recent Developments
On 23 June, Rugwabiza briefed the Council, focusing on recent political developments in the CAR since the Council’s last meeting on this file in February. These include the completion of the country’s combined local, legislative, and presidential elections; the inauguration of President Faustin-Archange Touadéra; the formation of a new government; and the installation of a new legislature. (For more information, see our 22 June What’s in Blue story.)
Council members received the Secretary-General’s report pursuant to resolution 2800 of 13 November 2025, which last renewed the mission’s mandate for another year. The resolution requested him to submit a report by 15 September to help the Council explore the opportunity and feasibility of an eventual handover of tasks from MINUSCA to the CAR government or the UN Country Team (UNCT).
At the June meeting, Rugwabiza briefed Council members about the mission’s efforts to consolidate and rationalise its operational footprint, noting the closure of 21 bases, including seven permanent operating bases and 14 temporary operating bases located in stabilised areas. (On 10 June, MINUSCA had handed over its seven permanent operating bases to the CAR government in an official ceremony organised in the Lobaye Prefecture and attended by the Prime Minister Félix Moloua.) Rugwabiza also added that the mission closed three field offices, as well as one of its three main compounds in Bangui, handing over static security positions to national counterparts in Bangui. Following the conclusion of the country’s electoral process, MINUSCA’s electoral assistance division was also closed on 5 August.
Additionally, MINUSCA has been closely coordinating with the CAR government on the modalities for the gradual transfer of certain tasks to national authorities, through an interministerial committee. Moloua co-chaired a 10 August meeting with Rugwabiza which discussed the work that had been undertaken jointly to plan the mission’s transition, taking into account the evolving security situation on the ground and the need to consolidate the political and security gains achieved by the country.
On 1 September, the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) met to receive updates on the situation in the CAR. It also discussed MINUSCA’s transition plan and underscored the need for the AU to be actively involved in discussions on the transition. The AUPSC had already directed the AU Commission in April to undertake a comprehensive study on the potential impact of a MINUSCA drawdown and propose concrete recommendations on the way forward. It reiterated this decision at its September meeting and requested the Commission to explore the possibility of activating resolution 2719 of 21 December 2023, on the financing of AU peace support operations, in coordination with the three African members of the Security Council (A3), to support CAR’s peace consolidation efforts.
While the security situation in the CAR is generally stable, challenges persist in the north-east and south-east of the country with cross-border incursions, attacks on mining sites, and other criminal activities, including abductions. In July, an attack by an armed group in areas close to the border with Sudan injured three Zambian peacekeepers, one of them seriously. The area is affected by armed group incursions amid the ongoing conflict in neighbouring Sudan, which is posing significant peace and security threats to the CAR.
Peacebuilding-Related Developments
At the 23 June Security Council meeting, the Chair of the CAR configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), Ambassador Omar Hilale (Morocco), briefed on his visit to Bangui from 28 March to 3 April.
On 10 August, the Steering Committee of the UN Peacebuilding Fund met in Bangui to review nine ongoing projects with a total value of nearly US$29 million. According to MINUSCA, the committee also discussed strategic priorities for the coming years in support of CAR’s peacebuilding endeavours.
At its 1 September meeting, the AUPSC encouraged the AU Centre for Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development, an AU specialised technical agency supporting African countries emerging from conflicts, to deploy quick-impact interventions in the CAR to rebuild public trust and prevent conflict relapse.
Key Issues and Options
A key issue for Council members is how to support the CAR in consolidating its political and security gains to ensure long-term peace and stability. While the country has made progress with the improvement of its security and the conclusion of its electoral processes, its political and security situation remains fragile, underscoring the country’s need for continued support to its post conflict and peacebuilding endeavours. Council members should focus on this issue in October ahead of MINUSCA’s upcoming mandate renewal in November.
The reconfiguration of MINUSCA, including the possible gradual, phased, and responsible transfer of tasks to the CAR government or the UNCT will be a major issue in October. Council members will be grappling with this issue, while at the same time trying to avoid a security vacuum that could undermine the hard-won gains in recent years. The Secretary-General’s report pursuant to resolution 2800 is likely to inform the Council’s deliberations and subsequent actions in this regard. A possible option for France, the penholder on the file, would be to organise an informal briefing by the UN Secretariat to discuss the report and its recommendations.
The UN’s liquidity crisis and its implications for the operational effectiveness of the mission continue to be an issue. In consultations, Council members may wish to reiterate their concerns about the situation and underscore the need for the mission to be provided with adequate resources to effectively carry out its mandated tasks. They could also choose to ask Rugwabiza for her assessment of the impact of the cuts on the mission’s ability to implement its mandate.
Council Dynamics
Council members support MINUSCA’s work and appreciate its contribution to stabilising the country. They also recognise that the CAR has entered a new phase of consolidation that requires building the country’s capacity to gradually assume security responsibilities. In this regard, they may continue to underscore the importance of ensuring that this process consolidates the gains made in recent years and avoids any possibility of reversal.
At the June meeting, CAR’s permanent representative cautioned against implementing drastic measures driven solely by budgetary considerations at a time when the CAR continues to face persistent security risks, including the spillover effects of the war in Sudan. In this connection, he invited Council members to visit the country to better understand the progress made and the challenges that remain ahead of MINUSCA’s mandate renewal in November. While some Council members might think it is a good idea to visit the CAR, it seems unlikely that a Council visit before November could take place given the full programme anticipated in October, one of the busiest months of the year for the Council.
At the June meeting, the US, which pushed for a larger reduction in troop levels during the last mandate renewal negotiations, maintained that the mission cannot stay in the CAR forever. It may reiterate this point in the upcoming negotiations in November. However, other Council members argued that the Council has a responsibility to help the country in consolidating its peace, underscoring MINUSCA’s indispensable role in this regard. They cautioned against a rushed drawdown process and called for closer coordination with the CAR authorities to facilitate a proper transition that will help the country preserve and sustain its gains.
France is the penholder on the CAR.
| Security Council Resolutions | |
| 29 July 2026S/RES/2827 | This resolution extended the sanctions measures imposed on armed groups operating in the Central African Republic until 31 July 2027, and the mandate of the Panel of Experts monitoring the implementation of these measures until 31 August 2027. |
| Security Council Meeting Records | |
| 23 June 2026S/PV.10181 | This was an open briefing on the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR). |
