Highlights

• Member of government visits north east
• Electoral code revision planned
• CAP 2009 mid year review workshop

Background and security

Clashes between APRD and peulh cattle breeders
Between the 11th and the 16th of May, sporadic clashes took place on the Béboura-Boguila road between some elements of the Popular Army for the Restoration of Democracy (APRD) and groups of peulh farmers returning from pastures in Cameroon and Chad.

Humanitarian activities on this road have been disrupted by these incidents which happen every year at the beginning of the rainy season.

Minister visits North East CAR
The Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, Elie Ouéfio, paid a working visit to the towns of Kaga-Bandoro, Ndélé and Ngarba in the north-east as well as to Daha in Chad.

This visit, the first of its kind by a government authority, also included a meeting with the humanitarian community of Bamingui Bangoran with the aim of contributing to the restoration of peace and stability in this region.

News

CAP 2009 mid year review workshop
In Bangui on Friday the 15th of May, a workshop was held to review the progress of the Coordinated Aid Programme (CAP) 2009. This workshop enabled humanitarians from UN agencies, national and international NGOs to review the socio-political and security context and to re-examine humanitarian strategy for the rest of 2009.

Participants reviewed the implementation of the Inclusive Political Dialogue (IPD) and humanitarian activities. The following observations were made:
- Increase in humanitarian needs ;
- Limited humanitarian access to certain areas, particularly during the rainy season ;
- Weak response due to low level of funding.

« Participants at CAP 2009 review workshop »

Various working groups were formed to reflect on current and future trends at the end of the sessions, the following areas were selected as priorities: health, water and sanitation (WASH), protection and education.

Taking into account the enrolment rate of children in education after the “Back to School” campaign, education has been identified as a priority sector for increasing and improving the quality of teaching as well as parents’ contribution towards schoolbooks.

Participants also proposed that early recovery become a cross-cutting theme in the same way as gender and HIV / Aids.

Participants also agreed on the need for a revision of the CAP taking into account the time and relevance of projects according to new strategic priorities.
The contingency plan will be updated according to the latest worst-case scenario, examining political and security trends in the region as well.

“Topics covered today don’t signal the end of this debate”, signalled Jean-Sébastien Munie, the head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). “These conversations will continue within the clusters”.

For the interim Humanitarian Coordinator Mai Moussa Abari, “This session has been a focal point for all participants, it comes at a delicate point in a time of the international financial crisis. The aims have been laid out, now for the response plans”.

Ad-hoc committee for electoral code
The ad-hoc committee charged with revising the Electoral Code was presented on Thursday 14 May by the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization Elie Ouéfio.

This committee has 15 days to submit its report which was coordinated by Minister Ouéfio and chaired by David Zokoué, president of the NGO ‘Integrated Community Development International’ (ICDI).

The committee brings together the government, political parties including the opposition, former rebel groups as well as civil society.

Health

Food for orphans and vulnerable children
The NGO ‘Santé Sud’ has put in place a food support and improved living conditions programme as part of the framework of support to NGOs for the care of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC). This program supports 11 national NGOs for the care of more than 1,210 OVC in the 3rd and the 8th arrondissements of Bangui as well as the training of leaders of these NGOs on the management of food and reporting.

« Children assisted by NGO Santé Sud »

In partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) the program aims to support families to feed the orphans and vulnerable children as well as creating a network to extend through the city of Bangui.

In addition to school kits and clothing, Santé Sud also strengthened capacity of psychological and social interventions with OVCs through training of social workers in early February.

In early June, another training session will be organised for associations in the 3rd, 6th and 8th arrondissements aimed at improving the living conditions of OVCs in legal care in the framework of children’s rights.
For more information: Rajmonda Zajmi, Santé Sud | (236) 75 04 93 83 | rzajmi@yahoo.fr

Education

ADIFLOR: gift of 14,325 text books
Central African primary and secondary schools are benefitting from the donation of almost 15,000 textbooks by the “Association pour la Diffusion Internationale Francophone de Livres, Ouvrages et Revues” (ADIFLOR – the International Association for the spread of French language texts).

The ceremony for delivery of these books took place on Wednesday 13 May at the premises of the Lycée d’Application de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure (LAEN). Present were the French Ambassador Mr. Vidon, the Minister of Education, Mr. Zawa and the Minister Delegate for Education, Mr. Sall as well as students, teachers and parents.

Five schools were identified in Bangui to receive the donation - LAEN, ‘Combattant’ school, Complex Gaiwaka, Lycée Miskine and Complex Elim. Educational establishments in Bambari, Berberati and Bangassou will also receive some texts.

According to Ambassador Vidon “all of these gifts fall under the “accelerated implementation of the programme ‘Education for All’ “.

Contact Us:
Boris NGOUAGOUNI | (236) 70 18 80 61 | ngouagouni@un.org

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