Central african republic - MINURCA

To assist in maintaining and enhancing security and stability, including freedom of movement, in Bangui and the immediate vicinity of the city; to assist the national security forces in maintaining law and order and in protecting key installations in Bangui; to supervise, control storage, and monitor the final disposition of all weapons retrieved in the course of the disarmament exercise; to ensure security and freedom of movement of United Nations personnel and the safety and security of United Nations property; to assist in coordination with other international efforts in a short-term police trainers programme and in other capacity-building efforts of the national police, and to provide advice on the restructuring of the national police and special police forces; to provide advice and technical support to the national electoral bodies regarding the electoral code and plans for the conduct of the legislative elections initially scheduled for August/September 1998 and then postponed to be held during November/December 1998.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Central African Republic, within MINURCA, was appointed: to assist in the promotion of the reforms necessary to achieve national reconciliation, security and stability in the country; to head MINURCA; to have overall authority over all United Nations activities in the Central African Republic, in support of MINURCA's mandate; to provide good offices and mediation between the Government and political parties; to provide advice and facilitate technical assistance in the areas of good governance and the rule of law; to cooperate with other international partners, including international financial institutions, with the objective of supporting activities aimed at establishing the foundations for lasting peace, national reconstruction and development; to encourage the United Nations agencies and programmes to provide assistance to the Central African Republic. The mandate of MINURCA was extended by Security Council resolution 1201(1998) , adopted on 15 October 1998, which outlined the mission's functions in support of legislative elections and also extended MINURCA through 28 February 1999.

Most recently, by adopting resolution 1230(1999) on 26 February 1999, the Council decided on extending the mandate of MINURCA until 15 November 1999 and included in its mandate additional tasks to:

• play a supportive role in the conduct of the presidential elections, in conformity with the tasks previously performed during the legislative elections of 22 November and 13 December 1998, recognizing the major coodinative responsibility of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and
  
• supervise the destruction of confiscated weapons and ammunition under MINURCA control.

Mr. Oluyemi Adeniji (Nigeria)

Brigadier-General Barthélémy Ratanga (Gabon)

AUTHORIZED STRENGTH

Up to 1,350 military personnel

As of 17 December 1998:
Mission total 1,362 uniformed personnel, comprised of 1,343 troops, all ranks; and 19 civilian police S/1998/1203 .

As of 17 December 1998:
Benin, Burkina Faso, Canada, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, France, Gabon, Mal, Portugal, Senegal, Togo and Tunisia S/1998/1203

Method of mission financing: Assessments in respect of a Special Account
On 26 June 1998, by adopting resolution A/RES/249, the General Assembly appropriated $18.56 million gross ($18.33 million net) for the establishment and operation of MINURCA for its initial period commencing 27 March through 30 June 1998, requesting the Secretary-General to establish a special account for the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic. Under the same resolution, the Assembly appropriated $29.1 million to maintain MINURCA from 1 July 1998 to 30 June 1999 Press Release GA/9425) .

26 February 1999: Security Council extends MINURCA until 15 November 1999
Adopting resolution 1230(1999) on 26 February 1999, the Security Council welcomed the holding of free and fair legislative elections on 22 November and 13 December 1998 in the Central African Republic. Having considered and approved of recommendations contained in the 29 January 1999 report of the Secretary-General S/1999/98 , the Council reiterated importance of the efforts of the country's Government and MINURCA to restructure the Central African armed forces (FACA) and stressed the necessity quickly to adopt the draft law and decrees on national defence and the structure of the defence.

By resolution 1230(1999), the Council decided on extending the mandate of MINURCA until 15 November 1999 with intention to commence the reduction of MINURCA personnel 15 days after the conclusion of the presidential elections in the Central African Republic with a view to full termination of the Mission no later than 15 November 1999. The Council further resolved on reviewing every 45 days, on the basis of reports of the Secretary-General, the mandate of MINURCA in light of the progress achieved towards implementation of the commitments made by the President of the Central African Republic to the Secretary-General in his letter of 23 January 1999. It reaffirmed that the complete implementation of the Bangui Agreements (S/1997/561) and of the National Reconciliation Pact (S/1998/219) were essential to peace and national reconciliation in the Central African Republic, and urged the Government to continue to take concrete steps to implement political, economic, social and security reforms.

Adding to the Mission's mandate responsibilities, the resolution authorized MINURCA to play a supportive role in the conduct of the presidential elections, in conformity with the tasks previously performed during the legislative elections of 22 November and 13 December 1998, recognizing the major responsibility which the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) would have in the coordination of electoral assistance. MINURCA was also authorized to supervise the destruction of confiscated weapons and ammunition under MINURCA control.

29 January 1999: Secretary-General stresses implementation of commitments by President Patassé, suggests extension of MINURCA to observe presidential elections
The fourth report S/1999/98 of the Secretary-General on MINURCA issued 29 January 1999 noted that, as a result of the elections held on 22 November and 13 December 1998 for the 109 seats in the National Assembly, the Mouvance Présidentielle won 54 seats, while the coalition of opposition parties won 55 seats. However, in the period following the formal proclamation of the results by the Constitutional Court, one opposition legislator announced support for the Mouvance Présidentielle , which thereupon claimed a majority in the Assembly and the right to the presidency and other key positions of the Assembly's Bureau.

Opposition parties reacted strongly to this development, walking out of the Assembly shortly after it convened on 4 January 1999. Roadblocks and barricades were set up in certain parts of the capital, Bangui, and MINURCA was placed on alert and increased its patrolling activity before calm was restored. Despite intensive consultations with the parties conducted by the Secretary-General's Special Representative, the impasse has persisted. In accordance with the January 1997 Bangui Agreements, the Government of the Central African Republic (CAR) committed itself to a number of reforms, of which the most important, concerning the restructuring of the armed forces and the adoption of measures to strengthen the economy, remain to be accomplished. The Secretary-General stressed that the United Nations would not engage in the military training of armed forces of the Central African Republic other than assisting in the creation of a renovated armed force under civilian democratic control that was representative of the nation as a whole and administered efficiently. MINURCA currently rendered assistance to the police and gendarmerie of the Central African Republic so as to create a police force whose personnel and operations met internationally accepted standards of policing in democratic societies.

In January 1999, heavy fighting broke out between the forces of President Kabila and Congolese rebels and their allies on the Congolese side of the Oubangui River, which formed the boundary between CAR and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The fighting resulted in an influx of some 5,000 persons into CAR territory, half of whom were registered as refugees by UNHCR. In light of the crisis, the Assistant-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Mr. Hédi Annabi visited CAR in the capacity of Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General from 19 to 23 January 1999, conferencing with with President Patassé, Prime Minister Dologuele, Defence Minister Pascal Kado, as well as the main opposition representatives, members of the diplomatic community and representatives of United Nations agencies and programmes. On 23 January 1999, President Patassé handed to the Personal Envoy a letter which made a number of detailed commitments arising from the Bangui Agreements and should lead within a short time to the following outcomes:

• participation of the opposition, in the National Assembly and its Bureau and in the political life of the country in general;
  
• adoption by the National Assembly of a budget satisfactory to the international financial institutions before their visit scheduled to take place in February;
  
• adoption of draft laws on the restructuring of the armed forces by the National Assembly and approval by the President and;
• finalization of measures to privatize state enterprises, particularly PETROCA

The Secretary-General concluded that MINURCA remained a source of much-needed stability, both in CAR and in the subregion as a whole. Withdrawal of MINURCA would seriously jeopardize the progress made so far in normalizing life in the Central African Republic, including support rendered to the country by international financial institutions. As premature withdrawal of international support in any key area could easily undermine and even reverse the fragile progress made so far, the Secretary-General was convinced that MINURCA should stay in CAR until the forthcoming presidential elections. Indeed, MINURCA should establish a secure environment for the elections and monitor and verify their conduct. It was now imperative for the CAR President to translate his commitments into concrete measures.Thus, the Security Council might wish to initially extend MINURCA for a period of six months, until 31 August 1999, subject to a further determination by the Council after three months that the Government has made acceptable progress in carrying out the reforms outlined in President Patassé's letter.

18 December 1998: Pending extension of MINURCA, Secretary-General
sends Personal Envoy to Bangui to closely assess situation on the ground
In the third report S/1998/1203 on MINURCA dated 18 December 1998, the Secretary-General invited the Security Council to consider extending MINURCA's mandate. Also, with a view to assessing closely the situation on the ground, he decided to send Hédi Annabi, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, as his Personal Envoy to CAR. In reinforcing the efforts of his Special Representative in CAR, Oluyemi Adeniji, the Secretary-General sought additional clarification and commitment from the Government arising from recent security-, political- and economic developments in and around the country.

25 November: Secretary-General welcomes peaceful first round of elections
On 25 November 1998, Press Release SG/SM/6806-AFR/115 announced that the Secretary-General received report from his Special Representative for the Central African Republic that the first round of the legislative elections in the Central African Republic took place without major incidents on 22 November, as planned. The 109 seats in the Legislative Assembly were contested by over 800 candidates representing 29 political parties and including 107 independent candidates. Voter turnout appeared to be high, especially in the capital Bangui, with very few irregularities reported.

In accordance with Security Council resolution 1201 (1998) of 15 October, MINURCA played a crucial role in the delivery of electoral materials, as well as in the maintenance of law and order during the electoral process and in the monitoring of the elections. Some 80 United Nations electoral observers were deployed in Bangui and in all regions of the country for this purpose. The provision of security by MINURCA enabled the international observers, who also included representatives of the European Union, to cover more than the envisaged 25 per cent of the polling stations in Bangui and in the provinces. The Secretary-General welcomed the peaceful and orderly manner in which this first round of legislative elections has been conducted, congratulating the Government and people of the Central African Republic, the Independent Electoral Commission, as well as all staff of MINURCA and United Nations agencies operating in the country, for this important step in the peace process in the country, looking forward to the successful completion of the legislative election process. On 25 August, (S/1998/783/Add.1) the Secretary-General had submitted cost estimates for United Nations assistance to the electoral process for a two-and a-half month period - including deployment of an additional 300 troops to six selected provincial sites as well as additional staff and international election observers - amounting to $6,3 million (Option I).

15 October1998: Security Council welcomes announcement by Government
and Commission électorale mixte et indépendante (CEMI) to hold
legislative elections; extends MINURCA through 28 February 1999
The Security Council welcomed on 15 October 1998 in resolution 1201(1998) the announcement by the authorities of the Central African Republic and the CEMI to hold legislative elections on 22 November and 13 December 1998 and decided that the mandate of MINURCA should include support for the conduct of legislative elections; in particular:

• The transport of electoral materials and equipment to selected sites and to the sous-préfectures, as well as the transport of United Nations electoral observers to and from electoral sites;
• The conduct of a limited but reliable international observation of the first and second rounds of the legislative elections; and
• Ensuring the security of electoral materials and equipment during their transport to and at the selected sites, as well as the security of the international electoral observers.

The Council welcomed the establishment of a joint committee of the Government of the Central African Republic and MINURCA to address the restructuring of the Central African Armed Forces (FACA), and reiterates its call upon the Government of the Central African Republic to adopt as soon as possible a plan for the effective restructuring of its armed forces;and the deployment of up to 150 FACA troops to the selected sites, operating under United Nations rules of engagement applicable to MINURCA. It called upon the Central African authorities to provide the necessary assistance, including the security arrangements, enabling the CEMI to prepare adequately and freely for the legislative elections; and urged all parties in the Central African Republic to assume fully their responsibilities in the legislative elections and to participate in them in a manner that will strengthen the democratic processand contribute to national reconciliation.

The Council urged Member States to provide the required technical, financial and logistical assistance for the organization of free and fair legislative elections and also extended the mandate of MINURCA until 28 February 1999. It finally expressed intention to terminate MINURCA no later than 28 February 1999, with its drawdown beginning no later than 15 January 1999.

21 August 1998: Secretary-General reports formal establishment
of Commission électorale mixte et indépendante (CEMI)
The Secretary-General reported on 21 August 1998 S/1998/783 to the Security Council that, the Commission électorale mixte et indépendante (CEMI) was formally established by a decree on 28 May 1998. However, the Electoral Commission was not able promptly to begin its work, owing to differences among the political parties over its composition. In an effort to reconcile their respective positions, his Special Representative, Mr. Oluyemi Adeniji, convened a meeting of political parties on 16 June, together with the two members of the Group of Friends of the Central African Republic represented in Bangui, the ambassadors of France and of the United States of America. After protracted discussions, a consensus was finally reached on the chairmanship, Bureau and composition of theElectoral Commission, including a compromise formula for the sharing, among all main political parties, of posts in the CEMI Bureau. Accordingly, President Ange-Félix Patassé signed a revised decree on the composition of the Electoral Commission on 18 June. The CEMI members were sworn in and the Commission held its first session on the following day, under the chairmanship of Mr. Michel Adama-Tamboux.

The Electoral Commission as by then fully operational in Bangui, and most of its branches at the provincial level, the comités sous-préfectoraux, were also in place. However, the national coordination and operational activities of the Commission in preparation for the elections have been seriously impeded by the delay in the provision of necessary financial and other resources. In particular, supervisory missions to the provinces, a key step in the control and amendment of the electoral rolls, were far behind schedule, although the Office national informatique has made good progress in compiling the raw data.

in a letter to my Special Representative dated 31 July, the Chairman of the Electoral Commission requested United Nations assistance for the distribution and retrieval of electoral materials. The Chairman pointed out that this crucial element of electoral support had been provided by the French forces based in the Central African Republic during the 1993 elections. In this connection, it is pertinent to mention that donors, as well as the Friends of the Central African Republic in Bangui, expressed the view that the Mission's logistical support would be essential, as any alternative source, even if feasible, would be much more expensive.

Meanwhile, MINURCA, in close collaboration with UNDP and the Friends of the Central African Republic in Bangui, continued to provide advice and technical assistance to the Central African authorities in the planning and organization of the elections. The MINURCA electoral experts worked closely with the Electoral Commission to assist in the development of its operational plan and budget and in the coordination of electoral activities. MINURCA continued to place special emphasis on the dissemination of accurate information as a tool for national reconciliation and peace. The Special Representative continued to give regular press conferences and to hold meetings with a broad spectrum of the Central African civil society, as well as all the international agencies represented in Bangui. In addition, with a generous contribution from the Government of Denmark, a United Nations radio station, Radio MINURCA, was launched on 22 July and began live broadcasting on 27 July. Radio MINURCA has been featuring topics related to the mandate of MINURCA and, working closely with the MINURCA electoral unit and UNDP, has also featured topics on the electoral process, thus providing a major tool to inform voters on the various stages of the process. As the only independent voice capable of reaching the entire country, Radio MINURCA has already established itself as a vital source of objective and factual information.

The Secretary-General stressed that the ultimate responsibility for the organization and conduct of the legislative elections must rest with the Electoral Commission. Any proposed United Nations assistance could only be complementary to the Commission's work. With respect to proposing international electoral observation assistance through United Nations electoral observers, observation sites have been carefully selected, on the basis of population density, the number of polling stations in the area, the accessibility of the polling stations and security conditions, to provide a reliable picture of the conduct of the elections. Indeed, the monitoring of the electoral process in Bangui and the six selected sites would encompass at least 25 per cent of all polling stationsnationwide. He therefore recommended that the Security Council approve the proposals for United Nations assistance in the electoral process.

14 July 1998: Security Council welcomes inauguration of Electoral Commission;
extends mandate of MINURCA until 25 October 1998
Adopting, on 14 July 1998, resolution 1182(1998) the Security Council welcomed the inauguration of the Electoral Commission with a neutral and independent Chairman and stressed the need for all signatories to the Bangui Agreements to cooperate to ensure the effective functioning of the Commission. The Council decided to extend the mandate of MINURCA until 25 October 1998; and called upon the Government of the Central African Republic to adopt, as soon as possible, a plan for the effective restructuring of the armed forces of the Central African Republic based on the proposals submitted by the Commission on the Restructuring of the Defence and Security Forces. The Council recognized that MINURCA might conduct limited-duration reconnaissance missions outside Bangui, and other tasks involving the security of United Nations personnel in accordance with paragraph 10 of resolution 1159 (1998); and called upon the authorities of the Central African Republic to adopt rapidly an operational plan for the organization of the legislative elections, and so enable the United Nations and international organizations to make arrangements for the provision of the necessary assistance; and encouraged MINURCA consult with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to render advice and technical assistance to the electoral bodies.

1996: Three successive army mutinies shake the Central African Republic
In 1996, the Central African Republic was shaken by a politico-military crisis, punctuated by three successive mutinies of elements of the Armed Forces. The crisis stemmed to a large extent from widespread public discontent over social and economic problems exacerbated by prolonged non-payment of salary arrears. Deeply concerned by the deteriorating situation and its implications for the region, and in view of the request of President Ange-Félix Patassé, the Nineteenth Summit Meeting of Heads of State and Government of France and Africa, held in December 1996, asked the Presidents of Gabon, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali to visit Bangui and mediate a truce between the forces loyal to President Patassé and the rebels, which they succeeded in obtaining after intensive negotiations.

25 January 1997: Bangui Agreements signed
On 25 January 1997, the parties signed the Bangui Agreements, which included the necessary elements for a comprehensive settlement of the crisis. An international committee composed of one representative of each of the four Heads of State concerned was established to monitor the implementation of the Agreements.

In accordance with the agreement of the Conference on Consensus-building and Dialogue, held in Bangui from 11 to 18 January 1997, and in response to a letter from President Patassé, the four Heads of State decided to establish, from 31 January 1997, an inter-African force in the Central African Republic (MISAB). Its mandate was aimed at restoring peace and security in the Central African Republic by monitoring the implementation of the Bangui Agreements and conducting operations to disarm the former rebels, the militia and all other unlawfully armed individuals. On 8 February 1997, MISAB was deployed in Bangui, comprising a total of some 800 troops from Burkina Faso, Chad, Gabon and Mali, and later from Senegal and Togo, under the military command of Gabon and with the logistical and financial support of France.

6 August 1997: Council resolution 1125(1997) welcomes operations of
inter-African Peace Forces (MISAB); authorizes Member States -
under Chapter VII of UN Charter - to provide support to MISAB
The United Nations Security Council, by its resolution 1125 (1997) of 6 August 1997, welcomed the efforts of the Member States participating in MISAB, approved the continued conduct of the operation, and, acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, authorized the Member States participating in MISAB and the States providing logistical support to ensure the security and freedom of movement of their personnel. This authorization, which was extended by the Council on three occasions, ended on 15 April 1998.

In the meantime, in resolution 1136(1997) of 6 November, the Council requested the Secretary-General to provide a report on the implementation of the resolution, including recommendations on further international support for the Central African Republic after the mandate of MISAB expired. In that report - S/1998/61 - the Secretary-General noted that, although the Member States participating in MISAB were willing to continue to assist the Central African Republic in consolidating the peace, they would not have the capacity to do so alone, as France was preparing to withdraw all its troops, and consequently its logistical support for MISAB, by mid-April 1998. The continuation of active international assistance to the Central African Republic would therefore be vital after the expiration of the MISAB mandate. According to the Secretary-General, the only viable option for the maintenance of stability in the Central African Republic appeared to be the establishment and deployment of another peacekeeping operation authorized by the international community.

27 March 1997: United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA) is established by Council resolution 1159(1997); becomes operational effective 15 April 1997
Based on the above recommendations and conclusions, the Security Council, by its resolution 1159(1998) of 27 March 1998, decided to establish the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA) with effect from 15 April 1998.

Despite the tight schedule, MINURCA achieved operational capability on 15 April, and the mission was formally established on that date in accordance with resolution 1159 (1998). To mark the transfer of authority from MISAB to MINURCA, a short military ceremony was held on 15 April and a political ceremony was held on 16 April at Camp Béal with participation of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Oluyemi Adeniji, and General Amadou Toumani Touré, Chairman of the International Monitoring Committee.

19 June 1998: Secretary-General observes that since transfer of authority
from MISAB to MINURCA on 15 April, MINURCA has succeeded in maintaining
security and stability in Bangui
On 19 June 1998, S/1998/540 the Secretary-General noted that the establishment of MINURCA on 15 April 1998 was marked by a brief military ceremony transferring authority from the Inter-African Mission to Monitor the Bangui Agreements (MISAB) to MINURCA. On 16 April, his Special Representative, Mr. Oluyemi Adeniji, and the Chairman of the International Monitoring Committee, General Amadou Toumani Touré, jointly presided over a political transfer ceremony. On the same day, the Special Representative met with President Ange-Félix Patassé to explain to him the mandate and concept of MINURCA operations. Despite the unusually tight schedule laid down by resolution 1159(1998) of 27 March 1998, MINURCA became operational on 15 April thanks to the efforts of a transition team of United Nations military planners, logisticians, communications specialists and administrative staff, who arrived in Bangui on 4 April to set up the integrated headquarters of the new Mission.

Since the inception of MINURCA, the overall political situation in Bangui has been generally calm, but volatile. The process of national reconciliation launched by the Bangui Agreements (S/1997/561) received significant impetus from the adoption on 4 March 1998 of the National Reconciliation Pact by all Central African political parties

MINURCA made concerted efforts to increase mechanized and foot patrols in the city, particularly in troublesome areas of Bangui. Those patrols were conducted 24 hours a day. United Nations troops also served an important humanitarian role in providing emergency medical assistance to the civilian population in Bangui. The situation in the interior of the country remained precarious, with continued banditry and other serious criminal acts. Concerning disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, almost 93 per cent of heavy weapons and nearly 58 per cent of light weapons were retrieved during the disarmament exercise carried out by MISAB together with the Central African authorities. By resolution 1159 (1998), it was decided that MINURCA should supervise, control the storage of and monitor the final disposition of those weapons. Accordingly, weapons, munitions and explosives recovered by MISAB were stored and guarded by MINURCA at two locations. MINURCA has also been destroying hazardous munitions collected. Overall, the Secretary-General observed that since the transfer of authority from MISAB to MINURCA on 15 April, MINURCA has succeeded in maintaining security and stability in Bangui. To achieve lasting peace, the organization of free and fair legislative elections and economic and social recovery were essential.