In this story series, UN Peacekeeping shows the impact of Action for Peacekeeping, which guides peace operations across 12 active missions.
In the Central African Republic (CAR), the upcoming local elections represent an opportunity to advance peace and the political process.
Elections are an integral part of democratic processes, including implementation of peace agreements and political transitions. Due to the security situation in the Central African Republic, the upcoming local elections will be the first to be held in 35 years.
The organization of local elections comes with many challenges. The dry season has seen a deterioration of the security situation with a resurgence of attacks by armed groups in certain areas. Through joint efforts, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) and the Central African government are working to ensure an inclusive and a peaceful electoral process.
On February 14, 2023, local authorities and MINUSCA signed the Integrated Election Security Plan (PISE).
"The validation of the Integrated Election Security Plan […] represents a major development, with regard to the demands of security, but also the synergies necessary for inclusive and peaceful elections," said the Head of MINUSCA, Valentine Rugwabiza.
The plan was defined based on experiences from previous grouped elections, an analysis of the security situation in the country, and the coordination between the National Defense and Security Forces and the MINUSCA peacekeepers on the ground.
For the President of the National Elections Authority, Mathias Morouba, the renewed plan embodies "all the hopes, both for the voters, but also for the government, technical and financial partners who make enormous sacrifices to make it possible to hold local elections.”
The majority of peacekeepers today serve in missions with mandates that prioritize the protection of civilians, which includes preventing conflict and sexual violence, protecting women and children, and promoting human rights. It is a key area of the Action for the Peacekeeping agenda and its implementation strategy A4P+, which includes Cooperation with our host countries as a priority and Women, Peace and Security as a cross-cutting theme. |