In Central Africa, Political Progress Attended by Security Threats, Humanitarian Crises, Security Council Hears
Briefing the Security Council today on the latest developments in Central Africa, a senior United Nations official described electoral gains coupled with security setbacks, as Council members welcomed the former, expressed concern over the latter and noted the additional threat posed by financial constraints on humanitarian operations.
Highlighting recent progress in the region was Abdou Abarry, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Central Africa and Head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), as he presented the latest Secretary-General’s report (document S/2025/342). He noted the conclusion of Chad’s political transition and Gabon’s “irrevocable progress towards the full restoration of Constitutional order”, which enabled that country to rejoin the bodies of the African Union.
“Nevertheless, we must not turn our attention away” from these countries, he said, calling on Chad to implement both decentralization and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration processes. He also said Gabon must implement judicial reform and enact legislation to allow political parties to participate in the democratic process. In addition, he welcomed positive steps on representation, spotlighting Chad’s recent elections leading to women comprising 34 per cent of the membership in the National Assembly, and 36 per cent in the Senate.
Elsewhere in the region, Burundi held legislative and communal elections on 5 June, and he reported that other elections will be held in Burundi, Cameroon, Gabon and the Central African Republic by the end of 2025. However, he recalled visiting Cameroon in March, where he was informed of the dangers posed by misinformation and hate speech. Noting an uptick of false or manipulated political content shared on social networks, as well as in intercommunal violence in the south and centre of the country, he underscored UNOCA’s mandate to buttress conflict prevention in the electoral context.
Turning to the security front, he spotlighted two hotbeds of regional instability — the Lake Chad Basin and the Great Lakes region. In the former, Boko Haram affiliates and dissidents have recently demonstrated their ability to adapt to coordinated regional operations, he said, citing a 24 March attack involving drones laden with explosives that killed 19 Cameroonian soldiers. Recalling Niger’s decision to withdraw from the Multinational Joint Task Force, he stated his intention to work to minimize the impact of this decision and stressed that the Force must be preserved.
He went on to voice concern over the threat of regional war due to escalating tensions between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, as well as between Rwanda and Burundi. Despite several peace initiatives, there has yet to be a cessation of hostilities on either the military or diplomatic fronts. Finally, turning to budgetary concerns, he warned that his office is severely impacted by an “unprecedented financial crisis”. “If the situation continues, then I will be stripped of the means” to advance UN values in “the various States of this beautiful region”, he stressed.
Also briefing the Council was Gilberto da Piedade Veríssimo, President of the Commission of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), who also highlighted progress in Chad and Gabon. The former set up new institutions following elections held on 29 December2024, and the latter saw a constitutional referendum on 16 November 2024 and a presidential election on 12 April 2025. He underlined role of ECCAS in these successful, peaceful transitions as it created two separate support processes led by the Presidents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic.
He, too, detailed security challenges in the region, spotlighting persistent terrorist activity, the illicit circulation of arms as well as piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. “In addition, the diplomatic and security crisis between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Rwanda is a major security threat for the region and has the potential to spill over into a regional crisis,” he stressed. He also detailed the complex, worsening humanitarian crisis in the region, where some 13 million people are forcibly displaced due to conflict in regional States.
“Central Africa is one of the regions of the world that has been most impacted by humanitarian crises,” he stated. While adding that this situation has been exacerbated by climate change, he outlined several measures that have been taken to tackle the crisis. These include the adoption, at an extraordinary meeting on 7 February, of a declaration by ECCAS Heads of State and Government, through which they called on ECCAS to draw up a humanitarian policy for the region and define the modalities for the creation of an ECCAS humanitarian fund.
In the ensuing discussion, Council members welcomed the peaceful political transitions across the region, including in Chad and Gabon, with several speakers also underscoring the need to protect civic space. Many representatives also voiced concern over the deteriorating security and humanitarian situations, especially in light of Niger’s withdrawal from the Multinational Joint Task Force against Boko Haram. However, speakers diverged on the role played by climate change in worsening the situation.
Council Members Debate Link between Climate Change and Conflict, Express Concern over Financial Shortfalls
The representative of the Republic of Korea was among several speakers drawing attention to the phenomenon’s impact on regional peace and security, as he pointed to water scarcity, reduced crop yields and widespread livestock stress. “These conditions exacerbate transhumance tensions between farmers and herders over dwindling resources and impact broader social and economic instability,” he observed. This “demands urgent attention”, he stressed, urging UNOCA to continue assessing related risks and supporting the region’s capacity to respond effectively to these challenges.
However, the Russian Federation’s representative said that Moscow does not support the link between climate and peace and security, and rejects its promotion in the Council. Climate assistance should be addressed by specialized United Nations funds and programmes with the relevant mandates. Rather, she said that her country is concerned about the persistent “spoiler capacity” of Boko Haram and Da’esh affiliates, and stands ready to share its counter-terrorism expertise and experience, implement joint plans to counter terrorism and continue to deliver necessary technical assistance.
Yet, Sierra Leone’s representative — also speaking for Algeria, Guyana and Somalia — stated that “increasingly frequent and severe climate-induced disasters” are among the drivers contributing to rising communal tensions. While underlining the need for “sustainable development and climate-adaptation initiatives”, he also voiced concern over the reduction of UNOCA’s resources. He therefore urged support for the Office, the ECCAS humanitarian assistance fund and the 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan, which currently requires $326 million.
Voicing similar concerns, Pakistan’s delegate said that recent cutbacks in financial contributions by major donors “have worsened the humanitarian situation in the region” and called for increased international support. He also noted the adverse effect of high levels of public debt in the region, which results in limited fiscal space in which Governments struggle to deliver basic, necessary social and economic services. This situation, he emphasized, “highlights the need for urgent reform of international financial institutions”.
Speakers Point to Nexus between Political Progress and Development, Underscore Need for Regional Security Cooperation
Panama’s speaker, meanwhile, underscored that credible and peaceful elections are essential — not just to consolidate democratic institutions, but to “generate the support and the legitimacy needed in order to address the multidimensional challenges facing the region comprehensively”. For his part, France’s representative highlighted his country’s support for electoral processes in Central African States, including €2 million towards the organization of local elections in the Central African Republic.
China’s representative, similarly, said that political progress in the region contributes to “the consolidation of regional peace and security” and urged the international community to help sustain positive momentum towards lasting peace. Citing the African Development Bank’s forecasted four per cent growth rate for the region in 2025, he called on the global community to help these countries — some of which still experience deficit, high debt levels and persistent inflation — to achieve economic recovery and improve people’s living standards.
“The fruits of pursuing such political processes are now more obvious than ever,” stated Greece’s representative, who welcomed UNOCA’s stabilizing role in the region. Nevertheless, he condemned cases of piracy and abduction in the Gulf of Guinea and welcomed all regional efforts promoting maritime safety and security. The United Kingdom’s speaker also emphasized the importance of regional cooperation. He said that, because the “long-standing crisis in the Lake Chad Basin” has cross-border implications, there is a need for such cooperation through the Basin’s Commission and the Multinational Joint Task Force.
For his part, the United States’ delegate said that his country encourages African partners to take a stronger lead on their own security challenges, adding: “We champion your work to counter these threats.” On the unfolding crisis in Sudan, which impacts Chad and other neighbouring States, he commended these countries for their generosity in hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees despite immense resource constraints. Nevertheless, Slovenia’s representative underlined the “heavy burden on the region”, urging that humanitarian activities and peace efforts be addressed together for a sustainable regional response.
“If we do not tackle the root causes of terrorism,” stressed Denmark’s representative, “we resign ourselves to addressing the same security challenges over and over again.” She therefore urged parallel support for both the African Union’s “Silencing the Guns” initiative — and its broader Agenda 2063 — and the Multinational Joint Task Force fighting Boko Haram and Da’esh in the Lake Chad Basin. “These efforts must go hand in hand,” she stressed, adding: “Preventive action is effective action.”