French-Drafted
CAR Statement
Silent on
Bozize
Arrests, No
Call
to Disband
Like M23
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
January 4, updated with video -- When the
Central
African
Republic press
statement of
the UN
Security
Council was
read out by
Council
president
Masood Khan of
Pakistan
Friday at 6
pm, there were
three
journalists
present.
While UN
Television
hustled and
set up their
camera, there
was no live UN
webcast of the
statement.
(Inner City
Press has uploaded video, here.) This is
how
far CAR has
fallen,
compared to
Syria and
Libya before
it.
After
Khan finished
the statement
and turned to
leave, Inner
City Press
asked him two
questions,
which he
graciously
took. First,
Inner City
Press asked
how many
countries the
UN has been
informed have
sent
troops into
CAR, beyond
Gabon?
Khan
said this was
discussed, but
he did not
have a list.
Second,
Inner
City Press
asked about
the arrest of
people
perceived to
support the
Seleka rebels,
including at
least two ex
parliamentarians.
Khan referred
to a portion
of the
statement
about
targeting of
ethnic groups,
but would not
go beyond it.
Back
on January 3,
after a
briefing of
the Council by
UN Department
of
Political
Affairs chief
Jeffrey
Feltman, Inner
City Press
asked
French
Ambassador
Gerard Araud,
what about the
Bozize
government's
arrest of
people
perceived to
support the
Seleka rebels?
Araud
replied, "That
would be one
of the
messages of
the Council."
But
it does not
appear to be
in the press
statement. The
more vague
"targeting of
ethnic groups"
is not the
same thing; it
does
not mention
the
government.
The CAR
statement
calls on the
"Seleka
coalition" to
withdraw from
towns it has
taken over.
But it does
not call on
these rebels
to "disband,"
as the French
drafted text
on the
Democratic
Republic of
Congo called
on the M23
mutineers.
What is the
difference?
France's
deference
on CAR stands
in contrast to
its active
stance on the
Democratic
Republic of
the Congo,
where it has
called the M23
mutineers
outlaws, was
critical of UN
official
Susana
Malcorra
meeting with
them, and has
not deferred
to the Kampala
process.
On
CAR on January
3, Araud told
the press,
that "the goal
is to
have a
political
agreement in
Libreville [on
January 8,
then] a
national unity
government."
But
some of the
rebels say
they haven't
heard of the
talks, or
don't
believe in
them. Watch
this site.
Here
is the press
statement, as
provided by
the Mission of
Pakistan:
PRESS
STATEMENT ON
CAR BY THE
PRESIDENT OF
THE UN
SECURITY
COUNCIL
The
members of the
Security
Council were
briefed on 3
January 2013,
by Mr. Jeffrey
D. Feltman,
Under-Secretary-General
for Political
Affairs, on
the situation
in the Central
African
Republic
(CAR).
The members of
the Security
Council
expressed
their concern
regarding the
“Seleka”
coalition’s
advance toward
Banguisince
the last
Security
Council press
statement of
December 27,
reiterated
their urgent
call for an
end to
“Seleka’s
military
offensive, and
stressed that
the current
situation in
CAR cannot be
resolved
militarily.
They called
again on all
parties to
seek a
peaceful
solution by
engaging
constructively,
without
preconditions,
and in good
faith in the
negotiations
to be held in
Libreville
beginning
January 8
under the
auspices of
the Economic
Community of
the Central
African States
(ECCAS).
The members of
the Security
Council urged
all parties to
abide by the
Constitution
and encouraged
the
government,
armed groups,
political
opposition,
and other
interested
parties in
CAR, to
participate in
dialogue and
to use this
opportunity to
negotiate a
comprehensive
politicalsolution
to the
long-standing
problems in
the country
while
respecting the
2008
Libreville
Comprehensive
Peace
Agreement.
In this
regard, the
members of the
Security
Council
recalled their
support to the
work of ECCAS
and the
contribution
made by
countries of
the region to
identify ways
out of the
crisis.
They welcomed
the visit of
the African
Union
President to
CAR and the
expression of
support by the
Chairperson of
the Commission
of the African
Union for the
steps taken by
countries of
the
region.
They also
expressed
their support
forthe efforts
of SRSG Vogt
to help
resolve the
crisis.
Taking note of
the recent
announcement
by the
“Seleka”
coalition of a
halt in
military
activities,
the members of
the Security
Council
reiterated
their demand
that the
“Seleka”
coalition of
armed groups
cease all
hostilities,
withdraw
fromseized
cities, and
cease attempts
to advance
further.
These military
activities
gravely
undermine
security and
stability of
CAR,
constitute a
threat to the
civilian
population,
and hinder the
provision of
humanitarian
assistance.
The members of
the Council
urged all
parties to
allow safe and
unhindered
humanitarian
access to the
affected
civilian
population.
The members of
the Security
Council
expressed
concern about
reports of the
targeting of
ethnic
minorities,
arrests,
detentions,
looting, as
well as
recruitment
and use of
children in
armed conflict
in CAR and
strongly
reiterated
their call on
all parties to
refrain from
any acts of
violence
against
civilians and
to respect
human rights,
and emphasized
that those
responsible
for such
violations
should be held
accountable.
The members of
the Security
Council
emphasized the
responsibility
of the
Government of
the Central
African
Republic to
maintain law
and order and
to ensure the
safety and
security of
the civilian
population.
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