Central African Republic: Briefing and Consultations
Tomorrow morning (28 October), the Security Council will hold an open briefing on the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR). Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the CAR and Head of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) Valentine Rugwabiza is expected to brief based on the Secretary-General’s latest report on the situation in the CAR and MINUSCA’s activities, which was circulated to Council members on 13 October and covers developments since 13 June (S/2025/638). The CAR is expected to participate in the meeting under rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure. Closed consultations are scheduled to follow the open briefing.
As the CAR prepares to hold combined local, legislative, and presidential elections on 28 December, tomorrow’s meeting is likely to focus on how to ensure the organisation of free, fair, and peaceful elections. Rugwabiza is likely to describe the mission’s ongoing efforts in line with its mandate, including in facilitating the delivery of electoral materials from the capital, Bangui, to the various prefectures. According to the Secretary-General’s report, the CAR government has committed an additional $7.8 million in funding for the elections, having previously disbursed $7.1 million in February. A funding gap of $12.4 million remains, however, from the total costs needed to conduct the combined elections. In this regard, Rugwabiza may reiterate her appeal for urgent financial support from the international community, while highlighting the importance of these elections for consolidating peace and stability in the country.
Opposition parties have been voicing concerns about the shrinking political space and the lack of inclusivity in the electoral process. In September, CAR Prime Minister Félix Moloua convened a session between the government and the Bloc Républicain pour la Défense de la Constitution du 30 mars 2016 (BRDC), a coalition of opposition parties, in an effort to foster consensus, inclusive governance, and national cohesion. However, the dialogue remains stalled due to disagreements over the modalities of the talks, according to the Secretary-General’s report.
Another expected focus of tomorrow’s meeting is the implementation of the 2019 Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the CAR (APPR-RCA, by its French acronym). Rugwabiza may highlight developments following the decision in April by two armed groups, the Retour, Réclamation et Réhabilitation (3R) and the Unité pour la Paix en Centrafrique (UPC), to cease hostilities and rejoin the APPR-RCA. She may refer to a meeting convened by the CAR government on 10 July in Bangui to mark the official return of the 3R and the UPC to the APPR-RCA, which was attended by leaders of both armed groups and a high-level delegation from Chad, the facilitator of the April agreement between the government and the two groups. Additionally, Rugwabiza may describe MINUSCA’s continued technical, logistical, and security support for the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) of combatants from the two armed groups in line with its mandate.
The security situation in the central and western parts of the CAR has reportedly improved after the 3R and the UPC ceased hostilities, with a noticeable decline in security incidents. However, insecurity persists in other parts of the country, particularly in the eastern and western regions, according to the Secretary-General’s report. In the southeast, violence perpetrated by the Azande Ani Kpi Gbe (AAKG)—a predominantly ethnic Azande militia group, which has been accused of committing serious human rights violations—remains a major concern, with reports of multiple attacks resulting in numerous deaths and the displacement of civilians.
The spillover effects of the ongoing conflict in neighbouring Sudan have further exacerbated the CAR’s already fragile security situation, as it experiences recurring incursions by armed groups in the northeast along its border with Sudan. This issue has been a major concern for several Council members, some of whom have called for the tightening of sanctions measures under both the 2745 CAR sanctions regime and the 1591 Sudan sanctions regime. At tomorrow’s meeting, Rugwabiza may elaborate on MINUSCA’s efforts to reinforce its temporary bases in the affected border areas to address the insecurity experienced by local populations.
The security situation has continued to shape the human rights landscape in the country. During the period covered by the Secretary-General’s report, human rights violations and abuses decreased by 16 percent, partly due to the cessation of military activities by the 3R and the UPC. Notwithstanding this improvement, cross-border incursions, hate speech targeting minority communities, and attacks by other armed groups have continued to negatively affect the overall human rights situation. According to the Secretary-General’s report, conflict-related sexual violence and serious violations of children’s rights persist. Some Council members are likely to express concern over these developments and reiterate their calls for urgent action to prevent and stop such violations.
Another key priority for several Council members is the promotion of accountability and justice in the CAR. These members have expressed strong support for the work of the Special Criminal Court (SCC)—a hybrid court composed of national and international judges, operational since 2018, and mandated to investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate the most serious crimes committed in the country. The Secretary-General’s report provides details on the SCC’s activities, including the delivery of verdicts in several cases involving crimes against humanity and war crimes. Nonetheless, the persistent lack of adequate resources for the SCC threatens to undermine its capacity to deliver justice effectively and ensure accountability. At tomorrow’s meeting, some Council members are expected to once again highlight this issue and reiterate their calls for sufficient funding to safeguard the SCC’s crucial work.
Ahead of MINUSCA’s mandate renewal in November, Council members will need to discuss key priorities and tasks for the mission over the coming year. The mission’s support for the upcoming elections in December, the DDR of former combatants, and the CAR government’s capacity to control the borders may feature prominently during the November negotiations. However, the renewal of the mandate will take place against the backdrop of the UN’s liquidity crisis due to delays in the payment of assessed contributions by member states. With unpaid contributions to the mission’s special account estimated at around $500 million, MINUSCA—like other peacekeeping missions—is implementing contingency plans to reduce expenditures by 15 percent. Under these circumstances, it seems that the mission is considering sending some contingents back home due to its inability to pay salaries.
On 29 August, US President Donald Trump approved a “pocket rescission” package, cancelling $5 billion in foreign aid and funding to international organisations—including approximately $800 million in contributions to UN peacekeeping. The statement announcing the package claims that “UN peacekeeping has been fraught with waste and abuse,” citing, among other issues, allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse in UN missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the CAR. It also asserts that “the Central African Republic mission has become fully aligned with Russia, which continues to extract the country’s natural resources”.
On 11 October, CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadéra sent a letter to the Security Council, expressing deep concern over the budgetary constraints affecting MINUSCA’s operational capacity. He warned that these limitations could have serious security, humanitarian, and political consequences, not only for the CAR but also for the wider region. Touadéra further underscored MINUSCA’s central role in supporting the implementation of the APPR-RCA, the organisation of the combined elections scheduled for December, and the expansion of state authority across the country. He therefore called for a renewed political consensus within the Security Council on MINUSCA’s mandate and its ceiling of authorised personnel, along with adequate funding to sustain the country’s recent political and security gains. In particular, he advocated maintaining MINUSCA’s key components, including civilian protection units, logistical and aerial assets, and the technical capacities essential for electoral and institutional support.
In his report, the Secretary-General recommends that the Council extend MINUSCA’s mandate for one year, maintaining its current authorised strength and mandated tasks, while underscoring the need for adequate and predictable resources to ensure effective mandate delivery. He further urges Council members to support this despite the application of contingency measures to reduce expenditure. The African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC), which met on 19 September to receive updates on the situation in the CAR, also expressed its support for the renewal of the mission’s mandate and called for the provision of adequate, sustainable, and predictable resources to enable the mission to more effectively implement its tasks, including ensuring security for the upcoming elections.
Council members are also likely to grapple with how to align discussions on the mission’s mandate with the ongoing deliberations of the General Assembly’s intergovernmental committees on the UN80 initiative—a reform effort launched by the Secretary-General in March to enhance the UN’s efficiency and effectiveness. These parallel processes appear to be taking place in silos, which may complicate negotiations on the renewal of MINUSCA’s mandate, set to begin soon after tomorrow’s meeting.
