United Nations Security Council Resolution 2709 – The situation in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA)

Resolution 2709 (2023)

The Security Council,

Recalling all of its previous resolutions, statements of its President, and press statements on the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR),

Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the CAR, and recalling the importance of the principles of non-interference, good-neighbourliness and regional cooperation,

Reaffirming the basic principles of peacekeeping, such as consent of the parties, impartiality, and non-use of force, except in self-defence and defence of the mandate, recognising that the mandate of each peacekeeping mission is specific to the need and situation of the country concerned, underlining that the mandates that it authorises are consistent with the basic principles, reiterating that the Security Council expects full delivery of the mandates it authorises, and recalling in this regard its resolution 2436 (2018),

Recalling that the CAR authorities have the primary responsibility to protect all populations in the CAR, including from international crimes, recognising the persistent security challenge threatening civilians, also underlining the progress made to restore State authority in all parts of the country, including MINUSCA’s assistance, to overcome the threats posed by armed groups,

Emphasising that any sustainable solution to the crisis in the CAR should be CAR-owned, including the political process, and should prioritise reconciliation of the Central African people, through an inclusive process that involves men and women of all social, economic, political, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including those displaced by the crisis,

Recalling the signing of the Political Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in the CAR by the CAR authorities and fourteen armed groups in Bangui on 6 February 2019 (“the APPR”), after the peace talks that took place in Khartoum, Sudan, within the framework of the African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation in the CAR and under the auspices of the African Union (AU), stressing its centrality and the need for further progress in its implementation, and reaffirming that implementation of the APPR remains the only mechanism for achieving lasting peace and stability in the CAR and the only framework for dialogue with armed groups that have renounced violence, welcoming the dissolution, disarmament and demobilization of six armed groups and of the wings of two other armed groups out of fourteen signatories of the Political Agreement,

Condemning in the strongest terms violations of the APPR and violence perpetrated by all parties to the conflict, particularly armed groups, throughout the country, including through the increased use of explosive ordnance, violence aiming at obstructing the electoral process, incitement to violence and hatred targeting specifically persons belonging to certain ethnic and religious communities resulting in deaths, injuries and displacements, violations of international humanitarian law and human rights violations and abuses, including those committed against children and those involving conflict-related sexual violence,

Underlining that ongoing violence by armed groups operating in the CAR continues to pose a threat to the security situation and political stability in the country, condemning in this regard all attacks on civilians, peacekeepers, UN personnel, national security and defence forces, and humanitarian actors, urging all armed groups to cease immediately all forms of violence and all those signatories to the APPR to respect their commitments in full,

Taking note of the 2022 MINUSCA annual report to the Security Council on violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law committed in the CAR,

Stressing the urgent and imperative need to end impunity in the CAR, noting the ongoing work of the Special Criminal Court, welcoming the first final judgement of the appeals chamber of the Special Criminal Court for crimes against humanity and war crimes, and calling on the CAR authorities to swiftly investigate allegations of crimes and to bring to justice perpetrators of violations of international humanitarian law and of violations and abuses of human rights,

Noting that a sustainable solution to the crisis in the CAR and the elimination of the threat posed by armed groups requires an integrated regional strategy and a strong political commitment from the CAR authorities and regional countries, also noting the importance of addressing the root causes of conflict, including illicit exploitation and trade of natural resources, as well as attempts to unconstitutionally seize power, and to put an end to the recurring cycles of violence, as indicated in the APPR,

Welcoming the strategic review meeting convened on 23 October 2023 by President Faustin-Archange Touadéra and his continued engagement with regional and international partners of the peace process, following the roadmap adopted by the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) in Luanda on 16 September 2021 under the leadership of Angola and Rwanda (‘the roadmap’), noting the government’s ongoing efforts and Prime Minister Félix Moloua’s leadership to coordinate the implementation of the APPR through ICGLR road map (“the peace process”), welcoming the national ownership of the peace process, and efforts of the CAR Government to decentralize it, urging all parties to the conflict in the CAR to respect the ceasefire announced on 15 October 2021, expressing concern that some armed groups signatories to the APPR continue to disregard their commitments and underscoring the need for neighbouring states, regional organisations and all international partners to support the implementation of the APPR via the roadmap and to continue coordinating their actions with the CAR Government to bring lasting peace and stability to the CAR,

Underlining the continued and crucial need to support national efforts towards the extension of State authority and the reform of the security sector (SSR) which contributes to security and justice to all through independent, accountable and functioning justice and security institutions, which take into account women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation, as well as capacity building of security institutions in the CAR to assume full responsibility of its security,

Underlining that lasting peace and security in the CAR will not be achieved without a combination of political, security, peacebuilding and sustainable development efforts benefitting all regions of the CAR, as well as the full, effective and inclusive implementation of the APPR and the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and youth,

Welcoming the work carried out by MINUSCA, the European Union Training Mission in the CAR (EUTM-RCA) and the European Union Advisory Mission in the CAR (EUAM-RCA), and further underlining the support of CAR’s other international and regional partners, including France, the Russian Federation, the United States, the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Rwanda, to train and enhance the capacities of the CAR defence and security forces, and encouraging coherence, transparency and effective coordination of international support to the CAR,

Condemning cross-border criminal activities by all parties, particularly armed groups, such as arms trafficking, illicit trade, illegal exploitation, and trafficking of natural resources, including gold, diamonds, timber, and wildlife, as well as the illicit transfer, destabilising accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons, that threaten the peace and stability of the CAR, also condemning the use of mercenaries and violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses perpetrated by them, encouraging the Government of CAR to work with neighbouring countries to secure its borders and other entry points to prevent the cross-border flows of armed combatants, arms and conflict minerals, stressing the need for CAR authorities to finalise and implement, in cooperation with relevant partners, a strategy to tackle the illegal exploitation and smuggling of natural resources, welcoming the adoption of a national policy for border management, and encouraging the government of CAR and neighbouring countries to work together to secure their borders and encouraging international partners to support the tripartite force of the CAR, Chad and Sudan for the surveillance of joint borders,

Taking note of the upcoming local elections in 2024 and early 2025 and underlining the primary responsibility of the CAR authorities in organising those elections, recalling the necessity to conduct the electoral process in accordance with the Constitution of 30 August 2023, stressing that only inclusive, free and fair elections, carried out in a transparent, credible, peaceful and timely manner, undisturbed by disinformation and other forms of manipulation of information, can bring lasting stability to the CAR, including through the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of women, youth and internally displaced persons and refugees, in accordance with the Constitution of the CAR, acknowledging the challenges faced by the CAR authorities in organising those elections and encouraging international partners to support their efforts, including by providing financial and technical support towards the process,

Recalling its resolutions on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, on Women, Peace and Security, on Youth, Peace and Security, and on Children and Armed Conflict, welcoming the government’s development of interministerial plans to implement the Child Protection Code, taking note of the Report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in the Central African Republic of 15 October 2021 (S/2021/882), remaining concerned by the number of violations of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights against children, calling upon all the parties in the CAR to engage with the Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict and the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, welcoming the decision by the CAR government to create a strategic committee to prevent and respond to gender-based violence linked to conflict, and urging the government and other signatories of the APPR to work with the United Nations to support the implementation of the national plan to prevent and eliminate the six grave violations against children recognised by the Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict,

Expressing serious concern about the dire and deteriorating humanitarian situation in the CAR, and the consequences of the security situation on humanitarian access, expressing concern about the impact of the crisis in the Sudan and the violence in southern Chad on the humanitarian and security situation, particularly in the border area, condemning in the strongest terms attacks by armed groups against civilian population, humanitarian and medical personnel and obstruction to humanitarian access, and emphasising the current humanitarian needs of more than half of the population of the country, including civilians under threat from violence, as well as the alarming situation of IDPs and refugees, recognising the increasing threat resulting from the use of explosive ordnance by armed groups and its impact on civilians, including children, as well as peacekeepers, humanitarian personnel and CAR defence and security forces, and welcoming the collaboration between MINUSCA, UN agencies, the African Union, the World Bank, technical and financial partners of the CAR and NGOs to support development and humanitarian efforts in the CAR,

Recalling the UN guiding principles of humanitarian emergency assistance and humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence,

Recognising the adverse effects of climate change, ecological changes and natural disasters, among other factors, on the stability of the Central African region, including through drought, desertification, land degradation, food insecurity, and energy access, and stressing the need for comprehensive risk assessment by the United Nations relating to these factors and for long-term strategies by governments of the Central African region and the United Nations to support stabilisation and build resilience,

Condemning in the strongest terms all attacks, provocations and incitement to hatred and violence against MINUSCA and other international forces by armed groups and other perpetrators, as well as disinformation campaigns, underlining that attacks targeting peacekeepers may constitute war crimes, reminding all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law and urging the CAR authorities to work with MINUSCA to enhance the safety and security of MINUSCA’s personnel and to take all possible measures to ensure the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators, including in line with resolution 2518 (2020) and 2589 (2021),

Recognising the importance of effective strategic communications to the implementation of MINUSCA’s mandate, particularly the protection of civilians and the support to the peace process, and to the safety and security of its personnel, and emphasizing the need to continue to enhance MINUSCA’s capabilities in this regard,

Recalling peacekeeping performance requirements under resolutions 2378 (2017) and 2436 (2018),

Taking note of the Report of the Secretary-General of 14 October 2023 (S/2023/769),

Determining that the situation in the CAR continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security in the region,

Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations,

Adopted by the Security Council at its 9476th meeting, on 15 November 2023.