Security Council welcomes Central African Republic national forum, urges implementation of peace pact

The Security Council has welcomed the recent national reconciliation forum held in the Central African Republic (CAR) and the inclusive, grassroots-level manner in which the consultations were carried out, particularly by ensuring the participation of women, and called on the country's Transitional Authorities, with the support of the United Nations, to speedily implement the forum's outcomes.

The members of the Security Council, in a press statement issued yesterday evening, welcomed the holding in Bangui, from 4 to 11 May 2015, of the National Forum on reconciliation, and the inclusive grassroots level consultations that gathered views of local citizens in advance.

They welcomed the inclusive and comprehensive manner in which this Forum was held and commended the adoption of the Republican Pact for Peace, National Reconciliation and Reconstruction including, among others, commitments for a swift presidential and legislative electoral process, decentralization and a reinforced judiciary.

The Council further commended the signature of an agreement on the principles for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, as well as an agreement by which armed groups committed to end the recruitment of child soldiers and liberate all children associated with the conflict from their ranks. In this regard, the Council welcomed the release of more than 300 children, including several under 12 years old, by anti-Balaka and the ex-Seleka armed group.

Congratulating the people of the Central African Republic, the Transitional Authorities, and the armed groups who participated as signatories of these critical agreements, the Council called on all armed groups to follow through on these commitments without delay.

The Security Council reiterated its support to the Transitional Authorities under the leadership of Catherine Samba-Panza as Transitional Head of State and strongly condemned the attempt by some armed elements to use violence, including directed against peacekeepers of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSCA) in the country, at the closing of the Bangui Forum.

The members of the Security Council urged the Transitional Authorities, with the support of the United Nations and the international community, to implement the Forum's recommendations without delay, said the press statement.

The Council also urged, in particular, the Transitional Authorities, as well as the National Elections Authority (NEA), in accordance with the transitional national charter and the 'Pacte Républicain' adopted at the Bangui Forum, to organize as a matter of urgency over the whole territory, the Constitutional referendum and the free, fair, transparent and inclusive presidential and legislative elections currently scheduled to take place by August 2015, ensuring the full and effective participation of women, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and CAR refugees, the voluntary return of whom should be an important objective.

In its press statement the Council called on UN Member States, international and regional organizations to urgently provide support to the Transitional Authorities for the conduct of the transition and subsequent reforms, including voluntary contributions for the payment of salaries and other needs for the restoration of the State authority over the whole territory, as well as for the holding of elections through the UN trust fund, for the upcoming disarmament, demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration (DDR/R) and security sector reform (SSR) programmes and for the restoration of the judiciary and the criminal justice system including the Special Criminal Court.