Highlights

• Président François Bozizé dissolves government
• Rebel group ‘Camp Noir’ creates unrest in Bamingui-Bangoran prefecture
• UN mission to CAR and Chad authorized to take over EUFOR mission at end of mandate on 15 March 2009

Background and security

Président Bozizé dissolves government

18 January: National radio broadcasts a decree of CAR President François Bozizé to dissolve the government led by Prime Minister Faustin-Archange Touadéra. Mr. Touadéra is re-appointed the next morning.

Nomination of other members of government is expected to be announced shortly. For several days, Central Africans have been waiting for a government of national unity; it’s one of the recommendations of the Inclusive Political Dialogue held in Bangui in December.

Unrest in Bamingui Bangoran

Reports in December pointing to the presence of rebels in the Bamingui Bangoran prefecture in the Central North of CAR have been substantiated. This rebel group is made up of former members of CAR’s armed forces (FACA) and of the UFDR, the Union des Forces Démocratiques pour le Rassemblement. The rebels have been seen on the Bria-Mbollo Pkata axis and seem to have been based at the village of Akousoulbak since the beginning of January 2009.

Issa Abdoulaye, a former FACA corporal is leading this group known as ‘Camp Noir’. The rebel group is demanding the release of UFDR head Damane Zakaria. Their demands are linked to abuse meted out by UFDR elements in the past on members of the Rounga ethnic population.

Reports of ‘Camp Noir’ rebels in the vicinity of Ndéléas well as the arrival of the armed forced led to a substantial emptying of the town, villagers are now returning, however.

EUFOR Mandate Shift

On the 14th of January, the UN Security Council authorised the deployment of a military component to the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT). This force will take over from European Force EUFOR at the end of its mandate on 15 March 2009. Resolution 1861 (2009) was adopted unanimously and the Security Council also extended its multi-dimensional presence in Chad and CAR. MINURCAT will be made up 300 police officers, 25 liaison officers, 5,200 military personnel and an appropriate number of civilian personnel.

The Mission undertakes to guarantee security conditions for IDPs, to support their voluntary return and to facilitate the free movement of humanitarian staff, protecting the offices and facilities of the United Nations in eastern Chad and north eastern CAR.

MINURCAT, from its base in Birao in the north east, will work with the CAR government to create a safer environment, and carry out limited operations to evacuate civilians and humanitarian staff at risk, protect personnel, offices and UN facilities and equipment.

Defense rules out any Bemba responsibility

15 January 2009 at the International Criminal Court (ICC) – Jean-Pierre Bemba’s lawyers have ruled out charges that the former Congolese vice President held any responsibility for crimes committed by his militias in CAR. The Court has granted all parties 10 days, if they so wish, to provide further evidence.
The court will hand down its decision on whether Mr Bemba will go forward for trial in mid March

Current events

Mentor Initiative fights malaria

In the wake of a significant cross-border population displacement towards Cameroon, NGO Mentor Initiative has conducted a needs assessment mission in the Touboro prefecture in North East of Cameroon. This assessment investigated the health of Central African IDPs who have fled violence in CAR’s north west prefectures and crossed the border into Cameroon.

No official data is available, but the NGO estimates that 15-20,000 refugees have sought refuge among the host population who number over 100,000.

The limited public health system of Cameroon is inadequate to meet the needs of these combined populations. The recently-opened MSF France clinic at Bemboyo, 2 hours south west of Touboro has registered over 22% of deaths due to malaria. Children have also been admitted suffering from severe anemia; malaria remains the primary cause for hospitalization.

There are currently 6 health centres and one referral hospital operational in the region. 4 health centres run by MSF France to support existing facilities were set up in July 2008 offering free care for all.

The cost of malaria treatment is prohibitive, from 8,000, 20,000 to 80,000 FCFA depending on how advanced the disease is. There is an urgent need to provide comprehensive basic health care for CAR refugees and the host population. Healthcare provided should be geared around an anti-malaria campaign.

At the time of the evaluation, MSF France was the only NGO present in the region. Mentor Initiative is seeking to expand its anti-malaria programme in other prefectures in the north from Ouham and Ouham-Pende.

For more information: valeria@mentor-initiative.net

IDP returns

Following on from reports indicating a return of IDPs from the bush to their home villages, the Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the UN’s High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) have carried out a rapid evaluation of the area to the north east of Paoua.

On the Paoua axis – Betoko, in various villages visited (Bessaledokou, Betokomia 3, Bedamara 4, Beboy 2, Bessa1 etc) – it is clear that this return is taking place. The mission noted that several returned families were cleaning their homes, young people and men were making bricks in order to re-build their homes. Those whose homes have been completely destroyed are gathering material in order to build what shelter they can.

The local population are unhappy and complain of being let down by the absence of lasting peace accord between the various groups. They did however express the hope of hearing an official declaration from the authorities inviting them to return in an organized and well-prepared way.
On the Bétoko – Bémal – Beboura 3 – Paoua axis, no movement has been observed, villages are still deserted and there is no evidence of returning IDPs.

The team eventually met the APRD spokesman Colonel Laurent Ndjim to discuss the situation, he denied that the APRD had ever forced IDPs to leave the bush. He indicated that villages on the Bémal – Béboura 3 – Boaya axis where his command post is have seen no sign of returning IDPs.

For more information: ndayirukiye@un.org
Contact Us:
Gisèle Willybiro | willybiro@un.org | +236 75 54 90 31

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