Security Council

4627^th Meeting (PM)

SECURITY COUNCIL, IN PRESIDENTIAL STATEMENT, WELCOMES RELAUNCH OF COOPERATION

BETWEEN CHAD, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

Expresses Support for Deployment of Observation Force in Central African Republic

The Security Council this afternoon expressed its full support for the decision to deploy in the Central African Republic an International Observation Force of 300 to 350 troops from Gabon, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Mali.

In presidential statement S/PRST/2002/28, read out by the Council’s President, Martin Belinga-Eboutou (Cameroon), the Council welcomed the final communiqué of the Summit of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community in Libreville on 2 October 2002 to consider the situation between the Central African Republic and Chad.  It also welcomed the undertaking by the Central African Republic and Chad to relaunch cooperation at various levels.  The Council further welcomed the readiness expressed by the African Union to continue to contribute towards ongoing efforts to normalize the relations between the Central African Republic and Chad and to promote peace and stability in the Central African region.

According to the presidential statement, the observation force will have three main tasks:  ensuring the safety of the President of the Central African Republic; observing and ensuring security on the border between the two States; and participating in the restructuring of the Central African Republic armed forces.

Further to the presidential statement, the Council called on Member States participating in the International Observation Force (FIO) to work in close consultation with the Representative of the Secretary-General in the Central African Republic, General Lamine Cisse, and the United Nations Peace-Building Support Office in the Central African Republic (BONUCA), and encouraged all Member States to provide financial, logistical and material support to the Member States participating in the FIO.

The meeting, which began at 5:17 p.m., was adjourned at 5:23 p.m.

Presidential Statement

The text of presidential statement S/PRST/2002/28 reads, as follows:

“The Security Council welcomes the holding of the Summit of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community in Libreville on 2 October 2002 to

Security Council                       - 2 -               Press Release SC/7358

4627^th Meeting (PM)                                       18 October 2002

consider the situation between the Central African Republic and the Republic of Chad.  It commends the leading role played by the President of the Gabonese Republic, El Hadj Omar Bongo, in organizing this meeting.  It welcomes the undertaking by both the Presidents of the Central African Republic and the Republic of Chad to relaunch the cooperation at various levels.  It strongly supports the intention of the President of the Republic of Chad to visit Bangui in the very near future.  It encourages further confidence-building measures to help normalize the relations between the two countries.

“The Security Council also welcomes the readiness expressed by the African Union to continue to contribute towards ongoing efforts to normalizing the relations between the Central African Republic and Chad and to promote peace and stability in the Central African region as stipulated in the Communiqué of the Eighty-Fifth Ordinary Session of the Central Organ of the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution issued on 11 October 2002 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

“The Security Council further welcomes the final communiqué of this meeting (S/2002/1113).  In particular, it expresses its full support for the decision to deploy in the Central African Republic an International Observation Force (FIO) of 300 to 350 troops from Gabon, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Mali with three main tasks:  ensuring the safety of the Central African Republic Head of State; observing and ensuring security on the border between Chad and the Central African Republic; and participating in the restructuring of the Central African Republic armed forces.

“The Security Council expresses once again its strong support for the Representative of the Secretary-General in the Central African Republic, General Lamine Cisse, whose efforts have been essential in this initiative.  It encourages him to continue to provide advice to the Governments taking part in this initiative.

“The Security Council calls upon Member States participating in the FIO to work in close consultation with the Representative of the Secretary-General and the United Nations Peace-Building Support Office in the Central African Republic (BONUCA).  It requests the Secretary-General, through his Representative, to establish appropriate liaison with the FIO.

“The Security Council encourages all Member States to provide financial, logistical and material support to the Member States participating in the FIO.

“The Security Council invites the leadership of the FIO to provide periodic reports, at least every three months.”

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