Highlights

• Provision road for country reopened
• Strategic framework for Peace Building
• Turkish doctors treat 2,000 patients

Background and security

Free movement on National Road no. 1
A joint government and UN system delegation carried out a mission to Bouar (in CAR’s north-west) from 24 to 26 May to meet disgruntled former rebels who have blocked the main road.

These former rebels are in large part from the Front Démocratique du Peuple Centrafricain (FDPC) of Abdoulaye Miskine. They erected barriers to draw the attention of the authorities to their ongoing precarious situation, months after they turned their backs on the rebellion and committed to the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) process.

For several days, over one hundred trucks which supply the city of Bangui from Cameroon were held up at the town of Bouar.

This is the second such action carried out by demobilized soldiers; the first, several months ago, involved a threat to march on the city of Bangui.

The delegation was led by Cyriaque Gonda, Minister of State in charge of following up the recommendations of the Inclusive Political Dialogue (IPD) and National Reconciliation as well as Steven Ursino, interim Resident Representative for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and chair of the DDR steering committee.

Clashes between FDPC and army
Clashes took place on the 22nd of May at Keté Sido on the Moyenne Sido road, following the erection of barricades on the road by members of the Front Democratique du Peuple Centrafricain (FDPC). These barriers have prevented CAR’s army (FACA) from bringing supplies to the FACA base at Moyenne Sido in the north of the country.

Reports indicate one dead and several injured, with allegations that FACA made use of heavy weaponry.

News

Support for skills building
At the request of the Associations of Parents (APE) in Kémo prefecture in the centre of the country, a 3 month training course has started concentrating on good governance, accounting and self-assessment. The course is organised by the Central African Youth Missions (JEM).

With the help of partners such as the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, this course brings together APE chairmen, general secretaries, treasurers and auditors, school principals and counsellors making up 512 participants or 64 per commune.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to take up their responsibilities in the association, avoiding conflicts and making a positive contribution to the well-being of the schools in their respective areas.

The aim of the course is “analysis and planning of self-financing for schools” with the emphasis on the potential for APE to contribute to well-run schools including construction and rehabilitation of school buildings. This course includes documentation and self-assessment carried out 3 months after the course in order to assess its impact.

«Participants at the course in Galafondo»

JEM is a national branch of the International Youth Mission. It has been operational in CAR since 2008 and has several projects underway including training courses for community groups on the “preparation of local development plans “and “principles of democratic governance and conflict prevention in groups ” which took place in Bangui. JEM is also running an “experiments in agricultural training” course in Bimbo and they are planning to build a maternity hospital in Bimbo commune as well.
For more information: Noel Kopéla, JEM | (236) 75 54 10 52 | jemcentraf@yahoo.fr

PBC: Presentation of strategic framework
A delegation of the Peace Building Commission (PBC) arrived in Bangui on the Wednesday 20 May from United Nations headquarters in New York.

The delegation is headed by Ambassador Jan Grauls, Permanent Representative of Belgium to the United Nations and chair of the country specific configuration of the Peace Building Commission for the Central African Republic. The delegation aims to present the PBC strategic framework to the Central African public. The framework is outlined in a document that was adopted on the 6th of May in New York and will serve to accelerate peace building and development efforts in the months and years to come.

After a working visit with the Minister of State for Planning, Economic Integration and International Cooperation Sylvain Maliko, the delegation met with the DDR Steering Committee, the Prime Minister, the President of the National Assembly and the President of the Republic.

In agreement with the government, the priorities are Security Sector Reform (SSR), DDR, good governance, rule of law and the poles for development.

Progress on implementation of these commitments will be assessed every six months.

For Ambassador Grauls, the strategic framework is not only a roadmap to build peace and development but it is also a document that bears witness to the commitment of the Central Government to put an end to a long period of violence and isolation for good.
For more information: Ms Touré Aissatou, BONUCA | (236) 75 50 85 95 | tourea@un.org

Health

Turkish health mission: 2000 free consultations
Between May 14 and 22, more than 2,000 patients from Bangui and its outskirts as well as patients from the Siriri Pygmy village in the south were provided with free healthcare by medical specialists from Turkey. The visit was supported by Central African-Turkish cooperation with the backing of the Consulate General of Turkey.

The team consisted of 15 doctors, 2 nurses and a medical assistant offering free consultations in the areas of ENT, dentistry, pediatrics, gynecology, general surgery, ophthalmology, urology and internal medicine. Medicine was also provided free of charge.

As in Niger and in agreement with the Central Government, the Turkish Agency for International Development plans to focus on priority actions for rural population during the next visit of the physicians.

For more information: Ichame Kamach, Consulate General of Turkey | (236) 21 61 18 05| groupekamach2@yahoo.fr

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

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