By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, February 26 -- With the UN Security Council set for a French-organized visit to the Central African Republic in two week's time, Inner City Press on February 24 asked UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Kyung-wha Kang about military action by French attack helicopters in Bambari. She replied that it had reclaimed public facilities in Bria, but left Muslims in the area worried.
"The attack in Bria has caused repercussions among Muslim population in Bambari, triggering fear that next would be them," she said. She also mentioned incitement by the ex-Seleka.
Now Inner City Press exclusively publishes France's “Terms of Reference” for the UNSC Trip to CAR - to see if they address issues like the one Ms. Kang answered on, Sangaris military offensives and fear. According to the French document, obtained by Inner City Press, the UNSC trip to CAR is
1. To recall that the Central African Republic (CAR) authorities bear the primary responsibility to protect all populations within its territory from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity and to emphasize that any sustainable solution to the crisis in the CAR should be CAR-owned,
2. To commend the African-led International Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA), Sangaris and EUFOR RCA for the work done in laying the foundation for increased security ahead of and in support of the United Nations Integrated Multi-dimensional Mission to the CAR (MINUSCA)’s deployment,
3. To express grave concern that armed groups continue to destabilize the CAR and pose a permanent threat to the peace, security and stability of the country, and to further express concern at the recent increase in kidnappings and attacks against humanitarian workers in the CAR which impedes humanitarian access to vulnerable populations,
4. To reiterate the appeal to all parties and stakeholders, particularly the leaders of the ex-Seleka and anti-Balaka groups, as well as all other armed groups, to immediately cease all forms of violence including sexual violence, to permanently lay down their arms, to release all children from their ranks, and to embark upon the path of dialogue as the only viable means towards achieving lasting reconciliation and peace,
5. To remind all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law to ensure the immediate, full, safe and unhindered, civilian-led delivery of humanitarian assistance and the principle of safe, dignified and sustainable return of internally displaced persons and refugees,
6. To commend efforts by the Transitional Authorities to gather views of local citizens in advance of the Bangui Forum by dispatching government ministers and officials throughout the CAR and to welcome the holding of the Bangui Forum on National Reconciliation as an important milestone for a comprehensive political dialogue and reconciliation process, at the local and national levels,
7. To reiterate the call upon the Transitional Authorities to accelerate the transition process and to take concrete action, with the full, effective and equal participation of women, for the holding of free, fair, transparent and inclusive presidential and legislative elections that allow for the full, effective and equal participation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and CAR refugees, no later than August 2015; the fight against impunity, including for crimes of sexual and gender-based violence; the formulation and implementation of a disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation (DD/RR) strategy; and the rebuilding of effective State institutions, including through security sector reform (SSR),
8. To reinforce the need for an inclusive and effective disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process (DDR) as well as repatriation and resettlement (DDRRR) in the case of foreign fighters, including women and children formerly associated with armed forces and groups, while respecting the need to fight impunity,
9. To stress the important role of the internal security forces (police and gendarmerie) in the restoration of security in the CAR and encourage the CAR authorities to initiate the reform process of the CAR Armed Forces (FACA), to include appropriate vetting procedures in order to put in place a professional, representative and balanced army, including through the adoption of measures to absorb elements of the armed groups meeting rigorous selection criteria, building the capacity of the security forces to address sexual and gender based violence, as well as through the retraining of part of the FACA,
10. To welcome in this regard the decision of the European Union to establish a one-year military advice mission based in Bangui (EUMAM-RCA), as requested by the CAR transitional authorities, in order to contribute to providing them with expert advice on reforming the FACA and to underline the importance of a clear distribution of tasks and close coordination between the international forces or missions in the CAR and the lead role of MINUSCA in this regard,
11. To assess the deployment of MINUSCA’s military, police and civilian components; the Missions’ initial work in implementing its mandate; the establishment of the Bangui Task Force; and the Mission’s reconfiguration following the violent incidents in Bangui in October,
12. To urge MINUSCA to accelerate the deployments of its civilian, police and military capabilities, including gender advisors and women protection advisors, in the CAR in order to reach its full operational capacity as soon as possible and enable the Mission to effectively discharge its mandate over the entire national territory,
13. To assess the security situation and MINUSCA’s ability to intensify the implementation of its mandate, in particular to protect civilians under threat of physical violence; prevent and report on all forms of violence including sexual-based violence; support the implementation of the transition process, in particular the reconciliation and electoral processes with the full and effective participation of women; facilitate the civilian-led delivery of humanitarian assistance; support the promotion and protection and human rights; support national and international justice and the rule of law, and support the DDRR and SSR processes, in accordance with priority tasks set out in paragraph 30 of Security Council resolution 2149
14. To assess the plight of vulnerable populations in the CAR, including those located in enclaves in Bangui and around the country,
15. To urge the former MISCA troop and police contributing countries that have been rehatted to MINUSCA to expedite the procurement and deployment of remaining additional contingent-owned equipment,
16. To call upon all international partners of the CAR to provide urgent financial contributions to support national dialogue and reconciliation, DDR and SSR processes, as well as the restoration of the judicial and penal chains in order to fight against impunity,
17. To further call upon all international partners to provide support to the electoral process as a matter of urgency, particularly through financing the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Multi-donor basket fund for elections,
18. To express grave concern at the threat to peace and security in the CAR arising from the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons, and the use of such weapons against civilians affected by armed conflict, and to recall in this regard the important contribution the Council-mandated arms embargo can make to countering the illicit transfer of arms and related materiel in the CAR and its region, and in supporting post-conflict peacebuilding, DDR and SSR,
19. To stress the urgent and imperative need to end impunity in the CAR and to bring to justice perpetrators of violations of international humanitarian law and of abuses or violations of human rights including sexual violence, underlining in this regard the need to bolster national accountability mechanisms and to implement without delay the 7 August 2014 Memorandum of Understanding on Urgent Temporary Measures, which describes, in particular, the establishment of a national Special Penal Court in charge of investigating and prosecuting the serious crimes committed in the CAR,
20. To welcome and encourage the ongoing cooperation of the CAR Transitional Authorities with the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court who opened on 24 September 2014 an investigation following the request of the national authorities on alleged crimes committed
21. To exchange views with members of civil society, including local women and women organizations in the field, in accordance with paragraph 6 of UNSC Resolution 2122 (2013),
22. To express concern that illicit trade, exploitation and smuggling of natural resources including gold, diamonds and wildlife poaching and trafficking continues to threaten the peace and stability of CAR,
23. To note the critical importance of effective implementation of the sanctions regime, including the key role that neighbouring States, as well as regional and subregional organizations, can play in this regard and encouraging efforts to further enhance cooperation,
24. To call on the Transitional Authorities to continue their efforts to restore sound and transparent public financial management, in line with the recommendations of the recent International Monetary Fund mission in Bangui (November 2014), in particular to mobilize domestic resources, particularly customs revenues, in full respect of financial best practice, in order to meet the expenses related to the functioning of the State; implement early recovery plans; and revitalize the economy.
Does this address what UN official Kang spoke about? Watch this site.
