Security Council Press Statement on Central African Republic

 

The following Security Council press statement on the Central African Republic was read out today by Council President Claude Heller (Mexico):

The members of the Security Council support the ongoing efforts aimed at national reconciliation in the Central African Republic.

The members of the Council have taken note of the consensual decision on the postponement of presidential and legislative elections in the Central African Republic and call upon the Government of the Central African Republic and all national stakeholders to move forward expeditiously the preparation and conduct of free, fair, transparent and credible elections.  The members of the Council stress the importance that the Government of the Central African Republic adopt and implement at an early date a realistic electoral timetable and budget that would foster increased support from the international community for the electoral process.

The members of the Council are concerned by the slow pace of the implementation of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process and call on the Government of the Central African Republic and all armed movements to take the necessary measures for a transparent and accountable completion of disarmament and demobilization without delay.  The members of the Council encourage the international community, including the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central African Republic (BINUCA), to continue to provide support to the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process in a coordinated way.

The members of the Council strongly condemn the attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in the Central African Republic and call for the countries of the region and the United Nations missions to continue to enhance coordination and information-sharing with a view to dealing with the threat posed by LRA to the population.

The members of the Council welcome the support to the peacebuilding process in the Central African Republic provided by the international community, in particular by BINUCA, under the leadership of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Sahle-Work Zewde, and the Peacebuilding Commission and support the ongoing process for the preparation of the Integrated Strategic Framework for the coordination of the peacebuilding efforts.

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For information media • not an official record