Highlights

• Clashes in the north west of CAR
• New MINURCAT Police Chief
• World Bank provides US$ 7 million for Food Response Project
• UN Humanitarian Air Service in jeopardy

Background and security

Clashes in the north west of CAR
After suspending their participation in the Inclusive Political Dialogue, several clashes between the Popular army for the restoration of democracy (APRD) and government forces have been reported in the north west of the country. Fighting reportedly took place on 8 August near Ngaoundaye, on 12 August near Man, and on 13 and 14 August between Ouandago and Kabo, though the identity of the rebels in this last skirmish was not confirmed.
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Highlights

• Special Representative of UN Secretary General Francois Lonseny Fall calls for a continuation of the national political dialogue in CAR
• Fifteen killed and 28 wounded in a traffic accident in Balatete-Azene near Mbrès in the centre-north

Background and security

UN calls for a continuation of the political dialogue
In a press release published on 6 August, Special Representative of UN Secretary General (SRSG) Francois Lonseny Fall has called on Gabon’s president, Omar Bongo Ondimba, who also holds the presidency of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), to help resolve the crisis that jeopardizes the inclusive political dialogue.
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Photo: Pierre Holtz for UNICEF CAR

A member of a self-defense group carrying his traditional rifle in a flower field, near the village of Sambaye, 10 km west of Bozoum, in north-western Central African Republic.

Self-defense groups help to ward off the threat of bandits who loot, kidnap and sometimes kill, allowing more families to return to their houses and fields. The community of Sambaye pays $42 for the weapon and ammunition of each group member, who are recruited on a voluntary basis among village’s men and women. Several displaced families from Sambaye started to come back to three months ago, thanks to improved security offered by the group.

UNICEF advocates to communities to prevent the use of children in self-defense groups.

When families are forced to flee their villages because of violence, they often have to leave behind some of their most valuable assets: seeds and tools for farming. This leads to an even bigger loss: their harvest.

Because of ongoing violence, food security is a major issue in the Central African Republic. Although some early projects are making a difference, more needs to be done; local food prices are increasing rapidly for food produced both inside and out of CAR .
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In the western part of the Central African Republic (CAR) lies the Nana-Mambéré prefecture, divided in two by CAR’s primary trade route with Cameroon. The road is the country’s most important lifeline (for supplies coming from Douala’s port), and also its only real possibility for trading timber or agricultural exports internationally.

To support farming communities in Nana- Mambéré, Mercy Corps, in conjunction with the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation, recently completed one of the largest seed distribution ever performed in CAR. Reaching over 12,500 farmers, the programme was designed to address three of the major issues facing people in Nana-Mambéré: food insecurity, chronic poverty and hunger.
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Highlights

• The Popular Army for the Restoration of Democracy (APRD) suspends its participation in the process leading up to the political dialogue.
• A barge crossing the Oubangui river in CAR, sank, killing 42.

Background and security

The APRD pulls out of the political dialogue
The President of the Popular Army for the Restoration of Democracy (APRD), Jean-Jacques Démafouth said in a press release that his organisation had suspended its participation in the process leading up to the political dialogue. Mr. Démafouth has also stated that the APRD had withdrown from a ceasefire and a global peace agreement signed on 9 May and 21 June 2008. The APRD made that resolution because they disapprove parts of a proposed general amnesty law.
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In the Central African Republic, UNICEF, with funding from the European Commission, is supporting bush schools to provide education and a sense of normalcy to displaced children.

The UNICEF representation in the Central African Republic has just published their monthly report for June 2008. It contains an excellent overview on the current humanitarian, political and security situation, as well as a description of UNICEF’s projects in CAR.

Here is the summary:

• CAR is placed on the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission’s agenda
• Peace agreement signed between the CAR government, APRD and UFDR
• The UN Fund grants UNICEF US$5.8million to purchase 740,000 mosquito nets
• UNICEF signs new agreements with COOPI, IMC, IPHD, IRC and Merlin
• Mass vaccination campaign against Yellow Fever is held in northwestern CAR
• International Day of the African Child is celebrated
• The construction of 404 latrines is completed in northern CAR
• Current UNICEF appeal funded at just 29%

Click here to download the report (PDF - 1.2MB)

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Highlights

• General Abdoulaye Miskine, leader of the Union of Democratic Forces of Central Africa (UFDC) says he is ready to sign the Global Peace Agreement
• China donates agricultural equipment and office supplies worth $450,000

Background and security

Miskine ready to sign the peace agreement
General Abdoulaye Miskine, leader of the Union of Democratic Forces of Central Africa (FDPC), one of the three rebel groups based in the centre north of the country, has said he is ready to sign the Global Peace Agreement. His commitment is a prelude to the much anticipated political dialogue expected this month in Bangui. “I am ready to sign the Global Peace Agreement in order to give the political inclusive dialogue a chance — considered by all the only way out of crisis,” said General Miskine in a press release issued Saturday in Bangui. Continue Reading »

Rebel excersizing in a training camp in north-eastern CAR.

Now that years of conflict in the Central African Republic are starting to wind down,  opportunities for economic recovery have begun to open up in many parts of the north.  There are still many challenges; principle among them road banditry which places a heavy burden on trade and local economies.  However, in spite all of this hardship, the people in the north have shown remarkable resilience.

In Paoua, for example, large proportions of the local and displaced populations are now working within cooperatives, women’s groups or other associations.  Also, since late 2007, people in many parts of the country have begun returning to their villages and rebuilding their houses and livelihoods, particularly in Birao,  around Kabo, and between Ouandago and Kaga-Bandoro.

With this accelerating return home, aid organisations are helping to create economic opportunities for communities that have been roiled by violence.  To that end, micro-credit programs and support to small farm cooperatives are now available in eleven places across the country.  Additionally, 48 kilometres of dirt roads have been rehabilitated so far this year and there are plans to work on an additional 282 kilometres.

Since restarting economic activity will be key to sustaining the Central African Republic’s fragile progress, many aid organisations have planned to focus their activities on the local economy for the rest of the year.  Programmes supporting farmers, herdsmen and fisherman will help strengthen the link between humanitarian and development assistance as well.

In Paoua, women communities receive help from the
Danish Refugee Council to set up small businesses.

Most recently, humanitarian organisations were called upon to assist people ravaged by the Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) near Obo on the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  They acted quickly to provide  protection, basic health and education services to a weakend population.  As in the north, these emergency activities will soon be linked with early recovery projects (in road rehabilitation, for example), so that the population can start re-building better lives.

Get more details in the 2008 Coordinated Aid Programme Mid-Year Review (PDF - 2.8 MB).

The road to Ndélé

On the road to Ndélé, the Central African Republic’s (CAR) largest northern city,  Kotamale is just another isolated village in the Nana Grebizi prefecture.  However, Kotomale is also home to one of a few small, dilapidated bridges that span the Kodo river.

In order for a truck to cross the Kodo river, the driver must negotiate a price with local laborers to completely unpack the truck, carry the goods from one side of the river to the other and then repack the truck on the other side.  With trucks that are often loaded with everything from food and clothing to tools and cement, this process often takes several hours. Continue Reading »

Highlights

• $ 9 million grant from China
• Energy crisis hits hospitals in Bangui
• Assistance to the displaced in Kamba Kota and Batangafo in Ouham province
• Departure of Toby Lanzer, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in CAR

Background and security

Deadly attack near Sibut
On 16 July, bandits, also known as zaraguinas, opened fire on the vehicle of the official representative of the Forestry Ministry, Pierre Ndikini, in the region of Sibut, about 180 km north of Bangui. Mr. Ndikini was fatally wounded and died soon after in the Sibut hospital.  The next day, another attack targeted the truck of a humanitarian NGO in the same region. Continue Reading »

Highlights

• Mission of the Peace Building Commission CAR configuration, 10 - 12 June
• Supporting health care systems in Paoua and Ngaoundaye
• Assistance to the displaced of Kamba Kota by the International Committee of the Red Cross
• Mission to the far south east of CAR, 2 - 9 July

Background and security

Mission of the PBC CAR configuration
Pursuant to CAR having been placed on the agenda of the Peace Building Commission (PBC) on 12 June, a mission lead by Jan Grauls, Ambassador of Belgium with the United Nations and Chairperson of the CAR configuration of the PBC, visited Bangui from 10 to 12 July. Continue Reading »

Deep in the southwest of the Central African Republic, far from the violence and humanitarian crisis of the northern prefectures, lies the Dzanga-Sangha reserve.  Nearly 500 kilometres (300 miles) from the capital Bangui, the reserve offers some of the most beautiful and pristine wildlife that can be found in Africa and, indeed, the world.

However, distance in this case can be deceiving; reaching Dzanga-Sangha often takes between nine to twelve hours by truck.  Road conditions in the Central African Republic are challenging during the dry season, and roads frequently become impassible during the rainy season, making reaching the park difficult, and occasionally impossible. Continue Reading »

Prime Minister makes emergency appeal

Bangui, Central African Republic – Faustin Touadera, Prime Minister of the Central African Republic, issued an emergency appeal for international support in the wake of a catastrophic failure of the country’s power system. After nearly 60 years of service and erratic maintenance at best, and despite offers from key donors to help over the course of the past few months, CAR’s weak electric infrastructure has taken one more step towards complete collapse.  Rolling blackouts, often lasting more than 24 hours, have now plunged the capital into nearly complete darkness. Continue Reading »