Central African Republic: Vote on a Draft Resolution Extending the 2745 Sanctions Regime
On Wednesday morning (29 July), the Security Council is expected to vote on a draft resolution extending the sanctions measures imposed on armed groups operating in the Central African Republic (CAR) until 31 July 2027, and the mandate of the Panel of Experts (PoE) supporting the 2745 Sanctions Committee until 31 August 2027.
Background
The Security Council last extended the 2745 sanctions regime and the mandate of the PoE supporting the 2745 Sanctions Committee through the unanimous adoption of resolution 2789 of 29 July 2025. (For background and more information, see our 25 July 2025 What’s in Blue story.)
Subsequently, Russia put a six-month hold on the appointment of Panel members. After the hold was lifted, three members of the Panel were appointed in February, two of whom began their work on 2 March, while the third member started on 6 April. It seems that the appointment of an additional expert on natural resources is currently under consideration.
In accordance with resolution 2789, the PoE was expected to submit a midterm report to the Committee no later than 31 January, but it was unable to do so because of delays in the appointment of its members. The Panel submitted a short, one-page midterm report on 8 June, explaining the circumstances that had prevented it from meeting the deadline.
The PoE conducted a visit to the CAR in March and April and presented its final report and recommendations to the Committee on 10 June, in advance of the 15 June deadline stipulated in resolution 2789. The 2745 Sanctions Committee considered the report on 5 June. (In light of the ongoing delays in the allocation of subsidiary body chairs, Colombia chaired the Committee meeting in its capacity as June’s Council President.)
The final report describes the progress in the peace process, noting that additional armed groups have recently joined the 2019 Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic (APPR-RC). According to the report, these developments have contributed to a reduction in military activities and facilitated the holding of elections in the CAR in December 2025.
The report highlights the progress in the disarmament and demobilisation of former combatants, with approximately 1,300 combatants, including 31 women, disarmed and demobilised and a total of 1,025 firearms collected through this process. Nevertheless, it underscores persistent challenges, particularly regarding the integration of ex-combatants into the defence and security forces and the formal dissolution of the armed groups, as members and networks of some of these groups remain active.
Additionally, the report describes the security situation in the southeastern part of the country, where the activities of the Azande Ani Kpi Gbe (AAKG), a militia group accused of serious human rights violations, remain a concern. It also highlights the situation in the northeast, where the convergence of the activities of local armed groups, illicit transnational supply networks, and spillover from the conflict in the Sudan continues to fuel instability.
During the Security Council’s latest meeting on the situation in the CAR, held on 23 June, Council members welcomed the progress achieved in the political track, while acknowledging the country’s still fragile security situation. They underscored the need to consolidate the gains achieved thus far as the CAR advances along its post-conflict path.
Negotiations on the Draft Resolution
The negotiations on the draft resolution were apparently smooth. As it did last year, France (the penholder on the 2745 sanctions regime) apparently consulted with the CAR ahead of the negotiations and proposed a straightforward one-year renewal of the sanctions measures and the PoE’s mandate.
France circulated a short draft resolution on 17 July and convened negotiations on the text on 21 July. The draft text received broad support, with members noting that the CAR had already expressed its agreement with the penholder’s approach. Although the UK had apparently proposed requesting a report from the PoE on the flow of weapons from the CAR into Sudan, this suggestion did not receive support. Most Council members appeared to favour the penholder’s proposal for a straightforward renewal without substantive changes.
It seems that the three African members (A3)—the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Liberia, and Somalia—also proposed adding preambular language acknowledging the positive developments in the CAR. The proposal was acceptable to other Council members, and the penholder revised the draft resolution accordingly before placing it under silence until 24 July, which it passed. It was subsequently put in blue ahead of a scheduled vote on Wednesday morning.
