The lost world

On 19^th June 2017, the government of Central African Republic (CAR) signed a peace agreement in Rome with 13 of the 14 armed groups that exist in the region to end the ongoing violent conflict.

The peace deal

CAR, which got independence from France in 1960, has always been plagued by strife and conflict. Even though it is a region that is rich in diamonds, gold, oil and uranium, much of its population lives in the poorest of conditions.

The current deal which calls for “immediate ceasefire” entails political representation of the armed groups, including the Muslim Selekas and Christian anti-Balaka and in return there will be an end to attacks and blockades.

The agreement was mediated by the Roman Catholic Sant’Egidio peace group and was signed in its headquarters in Rome. It is seen as a crucial development to put an end to rising inter-religious and inter-communal violence that has left 400,000 displaced and 1000 killed.

In the past, a number of similar accords have been signed such as the ones in Brazzaville in 2014, Nairobi in 2015 and the one signed in 2015 at the Bangui Forum. But they have all failed to end the conflict and thus making this one of the most neglected displacement crises in the world. Former US President Barak Obama and regional leaders have in the past threatened to impose international sanctions and arms embargos if the CAR rival factions did not sign the peace deal but again to little success.

This particular deals call for demilitarization, consolidation of peace, national reconciliation, strengthening of democratic institutions and protection of human rights.

Conflict

In 2013, Muslim rebels’ part of the Seleka umbrella group overthrew the CAR government. In order to counter the rise of the Seleka, anti-Balaka coalition of the Christian fighters was formed. This marked the beginning to the religious struggle in a region with a majority Christian population.

When the anti-Balaka forces started attacking the Muslim civilians, thousands deflected to the Seleka controlled region in the north. And even though the Seleka forces were then disbanded by President Djotodia shortly afterward, ex-Seleka members began counter attacks, plunging CAR into a humanitarian crisis. Additionally, intra Saleka fighting and involvement by foreign fighters from Chad and Sudan has added fuel to the fire. By 2014, the country was de facto partitioned between the region controlled by Seleka forces in the north east and region controlled by anti Balaka forces in the south west.

The election of President Faustin Archange Touadera in 2016 was expected bring the conflict to an end but it ended by intensifying instead. While the government maintains control over the capital of Bangui, lawlessness resides in the other regions that has allowed armed groups to thrive.

Currently, the Union for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC) of the Fulani ethnic group and the Popular Front for the Renaissance (FPRC) of the Gula and Runga ethnic communities are battling for Ouaka and Hautte-Koto regions. The conflict has also crippled the economy with 60% of the population living in poverty.

Assessment

Good governance and the rule of law is entirely absent in the region and that has to be restored. The UN has been criticized for its inability to develop an effective regional strategy and insufficient funding and smaller number of personnel deployed and that has to be addressed.

Our assessment is, given its history with the region; France has to be an active catalyst to maintaining peace in the region. It has practiced imperialist policy in the region and extracting unlimited uranium while contributing in the peace process. Moreover, the prominent religious heads should come forward to negotiate and solve the issues as most of the conflicts are religious based.