Security Council Committee concerning Central African Republic Provides Briefing on Panel of Experts Midterm Report, Discusses Chair’s Visit to Country
On 7 September 2018, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2127 (2013) concerning the Central African Republic held a briefing for all Member States on the midterm report of the Panel of Experts (document S/2018/729), during which the Central African Republic and regional States conveyed reactions to the report, as well as their views on national implementation of sanctions measures.
Providing an overview of the midterm report, the Coordinator of the Panel of Experts highlighted the report’s key findings and recommendations and conveyed additional information since the report’s submission concerning the security situation in the Central African Republic. The Coordinator stressed that the security situation remained of great concern, as areas which had witnessed improvements — such as Bangui and Bambari — had recently experienced increasing instability. He noted that armed groups had established parallel illicit taxation systems in areas under their influence in eastern Central African Republic, which are key to sustain their military activities. Finally, the Coordinator highlighted that little progress had been achieved regarding the implementation of the travel ban and the asset freeze. The Coordinator also noted that the Central African authorities had yet to take measures to implement the asset freeze against listed individuals and entities.
The representative of the Central African Republic expressed appreciation for the exceptional quality of the Panel’s midterm report and voiced the view that its recommendations were relevant. The representative also stated that arms and natural resources trafficking, as well as movement of mercenaries could be addressed through a better bilateral or trilateral cooperation between the neighbouring States, such as working through joint commissions. The representative of Cameroon outlined the framework of national implementation of sanctions measures and provided information on his country’s efforts to implement the arms embargo, including limiting the sale of ammunition in the areas closer to the border with the Central African Republic. The representative of Chad underlined that Chad was one of the first States to ratify the Kinshasa Convention for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons and their Ammunition and further stressed that the Joint Bilateral Commission of Chad and the Central African Republic would serve as a good framework to assess and strengthen their bilateral cooperation.
During the Committee’s informal consultation, which followed the closure of the briefing for Member States, delegations received updates from the Chair in connection with his upcoming visit to the Central African Republic during the first week of October 2018.