United Nations Security Council Resolution 1230 – Central African Republic
Resolution 1230 (1999)
The Security Council,
Reaffirming its resolutions 1125 (1997) of 6 August 1997, 1136 (1997) of6 November 1997, 1152 (1998) of 5 February 1998, 1155 (1998) of 16 March 1998,1159 (1998) of 27 March 1998, 1182 (1998) of 14 July 1998 and 1201 (1998) of15 October 1998,
Welcoming the holding of free and fair legislative elections on 22 Novemberand 13 December 1998,
Welcoming the report of the Secretary-General of 18 December 1998(S/1998/1203) and its annex of 14 January 1999 (S/1998/1203/Add.1) and thereport of the Secretary-General of 29 January 1999 (S/1999/98) and taking noteof the recommendations contained therein,
Taking note of the request of 8 December 1998 from the President of theCentral African Republic to the Secretary-General (S/1999/116, annex), and theletter of 23 January 1999 from the President of the Central African Republic tothe Secretary-General (S/1999/98, annex),
Reiterating the importance of the work done by the joint committee of theGovernment of the Central African Republic and the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA) to address the restructuring of the CentralAfrican armed forces (FACA), and stressing the necessity quickly to adopt thedraft law and decrees on national defence and the structure of the defenceforces,
Reaffirming the link between socio-economic progress and the consolidationof peace in the Central African Republic, and in that context taking note of theletter of 23 December 1998 from the President of the World Bank to theSecretary-General (S/1999/121, annex),
Recalling the importance of regional stability and the need to consolidatethe progress achieved so far, and in particular to assist the people of the Central African Republic to consolidate the process of national reconciliation taking into account the need to maintain a secure and stable environment conducive to the economic recovery and to the holding of free and fairpresidential elections,
Stressing the importance of cooperation and understanding by the Governmentof the Central African Republic, the newly elected legislators and the politicalgroupings, so as to ensure the effective functioning of the National Assembly,
Emphasizing the need for the Government of the Central African Republic toset the presidential election dates as soon as possible, in accordance with article 23 of the Constitution of the Central African Republic,
- Decides to extend the mandate of MINURCA until 15 November 1999;
2. Expresses its intention to commence the reduction of MINURCA personnel15 days after the conclusion of the presidential elections in the CentralAfrican Republic with a view to full termination of the Mission no later than15 November 1999;
3. Further decides to review every 45 days, on the basis of reports ofthe Secretary-General, the mandate of MINURCA in light of the progress achievedtowards implementation of the commitments made by the President of the CentralAfrican Republic to the Secretary-General in his letter of 23 January 1999;
4. Welcomes the intention of the Secretary-General to discuss with thePresident of the Central African Republic plans for the possibility of aprogressive reduction of the MINURCA military component in anticipation of the15 November 1999 termination date of the Mission, commensurate with the advancesin the restructuring of the FACA, including taking into account the need toensure the stability and security of Bangui;
5. Urges the international community to lend its support to therestructuring of the security forces of the Central African Republic, includingthe Gendarmerie, through bilateral and multilateral assistance programmes, andreaffirms the role of MINURCA in providing advice in the restructuring of thesecurity forces of the Central African Republic and, in this connection, incoordinating and channelling international support to this end;
6. Strongly reaffirms that the complete implementation of the BanguiAgreements (S/1997/561, appendices III-VI) and of the National ReconciliationPact (S/1998/219) is essential to peace and national reconciliation in theCentral African Republic, and urges the Government of the Central AfricanRepublic to continue to take concrete steps to implement political, economic,social and security reforms as referred to in the report of the Secretary-General of 23 February 1998 (S/1998/148) and to fulfil the commitments expressedin the letter of 8 January 1998 to the Secretary-General from the President ofthe Central African Republic (S/1998/61, annex) and in the letter of23 January 1999 to the Secretary-General from the President of the CentralAfrican Republic;
7. Calls upon all parties in the Central African Republic, with theassistance of the special representative of the Secretary-General, to take the necessary measures to resolve the current political impasse, with a view toenhancing the national reconciliation process;
8. Further calls upon the Government of the Central African Republic toestablish the new electoral commission as soon as possible in order to organizethe presidential elections, and to establish and adhere to a timetable for theholding of these elections;
9. Authorizes MINURCA to play a supportive role in the conduct of thepresidential elections, in conformity with the tasks previously performed duringthe legislative elections of 22 November and 13 December 1998, recognizing themajor responsibility which the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) willhave in the coordination of electoral assistance;
10. Further authorizes MINURCA to supervise the destruction of confiscatedweapons and ammunition under MINURCA control as recommended in paragraph 29 ofthe report of the Secretary-General of 18 December 1998;
11. Encourages an increased role for an increased number of FACA troops tosupport the presidential elections process, to include the deployment of FACAtroops to electoral sites to assist MINURCA personnel in the provision ofsecurity and logistical support, and notes in this exceptional case that thoseFACA troops assisting MINURCA in this context would during that time operateunder United Nations rules of engagement;
12. Welcomes the commitments made by the President of the Central AfricanRepublic in his letter to the Secretary-General of 23 January 1999 and urges theGovernment of the Central African Republic to fulfil these commitments, inparticular:
(a) To expedite the legislative process regarding national defence and thestructure of defence forces with a view to adopting draft laws and decrees asprepared by the joint committee of the Government of the Central AfricanRepublic and MINURCA, by 15 April 1999;
(b) To take steps to limit the mission of the Special Defence Force of theRepublican Institutions (FORSDIR) to the protection of the RepublicanInstitutions and of high-level authorities, excluding all police and maintenanceof law and order tasks;
(c) To continue to implement with the support of MINURCA thedemobilization and reintegration programme funded by UNDP;
(d) To establish no later than 1 April 1999 an implementation programme inaccordance with the timetable established by the joint committee of theGovernment of the Central African Republic and MINURCA which should specify thekey elements of the restructuring programme of the FACA to be implemented, among them the need to create well-balanced geographical and multi-ethnic recruitment,the improvement of working conditions, including payment of salary and salary arrears, the provision of adequate infrastructure, equipment and support materials, and the redeployment of some of the restructured units outside Bangui;
13. Also urges the Government of the Central African Republic to meet therequirements of the financial consolidation and economic reform programmesagreed with the international financial institutions;
14. Requests the Government of the Central African Republic to refrainfrom any involvement in external conflicts, in conformity with the commitmentexpressed in the letter of 23 January 1999 from the President of the CentralAfrican Republic to the Secretary-General;
15. Urges Member States to support financially and materially therestructuring programme of the FACA so as to facilitate its promptimplementation, and expresses its appreciation to those that have already doneso;
16. Emphasizes that economic rehabilitation and reconstruction constituteimportant tasks facing the Government and people of the Central African Republicand that significant international assistance is indispensable for sustainabledevelopment in the Central African Republic, stresses the commitment of theinternational community to a long-term programme of support for the CentralAfrican Republic and further urges the Economic and Social Council, UNDP, theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the appropriate regionalfinancial institutions to contribute to the designing of such a programme;
17. Requests the Secretary-General to consider, in keeping with thestatement of its President of 29 December 1998 (S/PRST/1998/38), what role theUnited Nations might play in the transition from peacekeeping to post-conflictpeace-building in the Central African Republic, and further requests him, inconsultation with the Government of the Central African Republic, to submitrecommendations in this regard by 31 May 1999 on a possible United Nationspresence in the Central African Republic after the 15 November 1999 termination of MINURCA;
18. Requests the Secretary-General to submit by 15 April 1999 and every45 days thereafter a report on the implementation of the mandate of MINURCA, ondevelopments in the Central African Republic, in particular on the electionprocess, on progress towards the implementation of the commitments expressed in the letters of 8 January 1998 and of 23 January 1999 from the President of theCentral African Republic to the Secretary-General and on the implementation ofthe Bangui Agreements and the National Reconciliation Pact, including oncommitments related to ensuring the country’s economic recovery, therestructuring of the security forces and the functioning of the FORSDIR;
19. Commends the efforts of the Special Representative and the personnelof MINURCA to promote peace and national reconciliation in the Central AfricanRepublic;
20. Recalls the urgent need for Member States to contribute voluntarily tothe trust fund established by the Secretary-General to support the activities ofMINURCA;
21. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.
Adopted by the Security Council at its 3984th meeting,on 26 February 1999.
