CAR on Great Lakes meeting agenda as people displaced by violence surpass 200,000

Security in the Central African Republic is high on the agenda at a meeting of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) on Friday, as the UN warned that 200,000 people have fled the fighting since the violence erupted during the December elections.

A new mediator for the CAR should be appointed during the meeting of the ICGLR, according to a report by Florence Morice of RFI. The new role was announced at a meeting in November, but not yet implemented.

The UN refugee agency said on Friday more than 200,000 people had fled the fighting, with 92,000 people crossing the Democratic Republic of the Congo and more than 13,000 through Cameroon, Chad and the Republic of Congo.

Many people face “dire conditions” in CAR, according to Boris Cheshirkov, a UNHCR spokesperson, with continued attacks and road closures preventing humanitarian access.

Violence erupted in CAR ahead of the December elections, with rebels staging an offensive on the capital Bangui.

The vote took place despite insecurity and violence continued in January with attacks on the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country (MINUSCA) and the declaration of a state of emergency by the authorities in Bangui.

Regional differences

Before the ICGLR meeting, President Touadéra would be concerned about the choice of personalities for the role of mediator, in particular by the fact that a mediator would come from the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).

It is understood that a mediator from Chad or Congo Brazzaville may not have the confidence of Touadéra, fearing to be too close to the rebel opposition, according to diplomatic sources, quoted by RFI.

However, Denis Sassou-Nguesso, President of the Republic of Congo, currently chairs ECCAS and is responsible for leading any consultations.

Gilberto Da Piedade Verissimo, an Angolan, who heads the ECCAS secretariat, tried to break the deadlock, working to have Friday’s meeting held by the ICGLR. This somewhat avoids the problem, given that the ICGLR is currently chaired by Angola.

Chad is not part of this organization, but was invited due to the nature of the country’s influence on the security of the sub-region.

The heads of state are expected to discuss the role of mediator, as well as the possibility of sending military reinforcements to the Central African Republic. Angola and the DRC were specifically approached.