The first National Tree and Forest Week (SNAF) concluded on Saturday with a major afforestation operation presided over by H.E. Professor Faustin-Archange Touadéra, President of the Central African Republic and Head of State.
EUAM RCA was represented at the closing ceremony by the Acting Head of Mission, Silvia Chiarelli, the Head of Operations, Luis Modrego, and the Mission’s Strategic Adviser on Interoperability – Water and Forests, Jérôme Texier-Fredon.
The ceremony marked the culmination of a week of national mobilisation that brought together authorities, institutions, communities, civil society and partners around a common objective: protecting and restoring the Central African Republic’s forests and natural heritage.
Throughout the week, tree-planting activities demonstrated the collective commitment behind this first edition of SNAF. Team Europe contributed to the national effort, with the EUAM RCA Acting Head of Mission and H.E the Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union, H.E. Diego Escalona Paturel, and other mission members taking part in tree planting alongside national and international partners.
For EUAM RCA, environmental protection also has an institutional dimension. Sustainable management of natural resources requires strong public institutions, effective coordination and cooperation between the services responsible for protecting the country’s forests and natural resources. Through its strategic advice on interoperability between Water and Forests services and other internal security actors, the Mission supports Central African institutions in strengthening this cooperation.
From national mobilisation to action on the ground, the first SNAF carried a clear message: protecting forests and natural resources is a shared responsibility — and an investment in the country’s future.
Planting today, protecting tomorrow.
