EU Intervention – Peacebuilding Commission: Central African Republic

I commend the PBC's continued interest and commitment to the reconciliation and peace process in CAR. Since a purely military solution is not viable, a holistic approach to the pacification of the country must be encouraged.

In this context, the European Union welcomes the ongoing efforts to pool and operationalize the implementation of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in CAR (APPR) and the Luanda Roadmap – through the 6 identified pillars (engagement of armed groups in the peace process, ceasefire, DDR, SSR, border control, political process).

I wish to recall the EU's long-standing, multidimensional and reliable support for peacebuilding, governance improvement and democratic development activities in the CAR, as well as our commitment to facilitate the mobilization of resources as co-chair of the steering committee of the National Recovery and Peacebuilding Plan (RCPCA).

We remain engaged with international and regional partners for stability in the CAR, but we expect concrete progress from the Central African government: the revitalization of the peace process and the concrete implementation of the Luanda process on the one hand and on the other hand the pursuit of measures that contribute to national stabilization and reconciliation. It is important to sustainably restore trust with international partners for us to continue our engagement. In this context, the fight against impunity and progress towards a peaceful political environment remain crucial.

The holding of presidential and legislative elections in 2020/2021 was an important moment that benefitted from the support of international partners, including a significant contribution from the EU. Now, the population has the right to expect that all lessons learned will be implemented in the context of the organization of inclusive, transparent and credible local elections, including with regard to respect for fundamental freedoms, the participation of women and the media environment.

A successful cycle of local elections can serve as a catalyst to relaunch the decentralization process suspended since 1988. The holding of local elections should meet the expectations of the population and all local actors in terms of promoting grassroots democracy, equal gender representation, governance, local accountability and local development, as expressed during the political dialogue that led to the political agreement on peace and reconciliation. The elections should remain centered on these objectives.

The EU provided multifaceted support for the 2020-2021 presidential and legislative elections for an amount of more than EUR 20,000,000, and remains committed to continuing its technical and financial support in preparation for the 2022-2023 local elections. This in particular via the UNDP Common Fund. We are currently considering a possible top-up of our contribution, targeted towards the completion of the cycle of local elections.

We note that the technical preparations for the local elections are proceeding quite effectively. The National Electoral Authority is already beginning to carry out targeted mapping.

In conclusion, we would like to reiterate our concerns and our expectations, which have already been expressed on numerous occasions to the Central African authorities regarding the presence and behavior of unconventional foreign forces and disinformation mechanisms leading to reactions provoking violence, including against the European presence in the CAR.

Beyond the local elections, the Central African Republic remains an extremely fragile country facing an acute humanitarian crisis. Our commitment to support the population, and any activity aimed at strengthening the rule of law, remains firm. The entire international community must therefore remain mobilized and united and continue to provide an urgent and appropriate response to the pressing humanitarian needs of the country and its population.

I thank you.