Following the recent renewal of the MINUSCA mandate, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Mission Head, Mankeur Ndiaye chaired a townhall meeting on its implementation on 12 December at MINUSCA Logbase in Bangui.
The Mission mandate was renewed with adjustments by Security Council Resolution 2499 on 15 November 2019. The townhall meeting sought to mark the adoption of the new mandate –which builds on the old mandate, with additional focus areas.
The gathering brought together all staff members and the Mission leadership – including theMINUSCA Force Commander Lieutenant General Bella Keita, Police Commissioner Major General Pascal Champion, the Director of Mission Support Milan Trojanovic, as well as heads of field offices and other members of the senior management team to discuss a shared vision and approach in the implementation of Resolution 2499 for a sustainable political solution in the Central African Republic.
Two priority areas in the renewed mandate were highlighted: MINUSCA’s support for the implementation of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation as well as good offices and technical, logistical and operational assistance in the organization of presidential, legislative and local elections within the deadlines set by the constitution.
Together with the protection of civilians, these additional elements constitute the three pillars around which the MINUSCA mandate is built, including the restoration of state authority, security sector reform, promoting transitional justice, Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) and the fight against impunity as well as the protection of human rights.
“The Government of the Central African Republic has the primary responsibility for the protection of the population. The Mission is here to accompany them in the realization of that objective together with other humanitarian and international partners,” stated Mankeur Ndiaye.
As a sign that MINUSCA’s work has steadily gained ground, he noted that the state and security forces have strengthened their presence in 16 prefectures of the country including Bria, Birao and Kaga-Bandoro and pointed out the reduction of violence against civilians.
He furthermore emphasized the key role of strategic communication in the good implementation of the mandate – and especially the role of Guira FM, the United Nations radio – in educating the local population on the role of MINUSCA. Mutual respect between Mission leadership and staff, the health of staff members,respecting coordination and integration processes with the heads of offices as well as making use of evaluation mechanisms for effective performance were also identified as imperative to mandate implementation.
“I urge you immerse yourselves in the work for enhanced protection of civilian population, provision of humanitarian aid and the prevention of recurrence of conflicts for lasting peace in the Central African Republic – this will be largely dependent on our collective ability to mobilize integrated support from the United Nations and to coordinate the contribution of international partners,” he concluded.
The renewed mandate will guide the work of MINUSCA until 15 November 2020, and the Special Representative called on all staff members to work for the success of its implementation