Important achievements have been made in the inclusive political dialogue initiated at the end of 2007 to put an end to the recurrent violence in the Central African Republic. Over the last three months, the dialogue’s Preparatory Committee (CPDPI) has managed to bring together all major political and military actors as well as reach consensus on the need to find a political solution to the country’s divisions.

All rebel movements, including the Popular Army for Democratic Restoration (APRD), which only joined the CPDPI last month, have committed to sit with the government, opposition parties and civil society in order to open a constructive dialogue. The committee’s final document will set general conditions for the dialogue and will be officially delivered to President François Bozizé in the coming days. This hand-over will mark the end of the preparatory stage and the beginning of the actual dialogue.

According to the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, which supported the CPDPI, this success shows “the determination to close the chapter of violent and tragic events which not only make peace, stability and development impossible, but give CAR the reputation of a country with great resources but even greater poverty.”

A series of initiatives will now be launched in the countryside in order to broaden the consensus achieved in the committee’s final document, as well as to create the best possible conditions for the dialogue’s opening in the next 45 days. A lead mediator for the dialogue has yet to be named. The dialogue’s specific content also remains to be defined. Many issues, such as the integration of rebel forces into the national army and the improvement of governance, have to be solved quickly in order to establish a favourable climate for the 2010 elections.

Although the prospect of the inclusive dialogue led to an essential cease fire between the government and the Union of Democratic Forces for Unity (UFDR) in the north and with the APRD in the west, this dialogue is only one of the first steps in rebuilding the entire economic, social and political fabric of the country. The Central African Republic continues to face a serious humanitarian crisis, and only the real political engagement of all parties has the potential to restore lasting peace and development.

Click here to donwload the CPDPI’s press release on the inclusive political dialogue of 1 April 2008