HRC56: Oral Statement during the adoption of CAR UPR outcome

Item 6:CAR UPR Outcome

Organisation: Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW)

Speaker: Ellis Heasley

Thank you Mr President,

CSW welcomes the Central African Republic’s co-operation with the UPR process.

We call on CAR to take note of the many recommendations calling for the disarmament and demobilisation of armed groups, as well as calls for investigations into serious human rights violations.

CSW remains particularly concerned by the activities of Russian mercenaries invited by the government to assist with the restoration of security, who are committing severe violations with impunity. The lack of accountability mechanisms within their operational remit renders justice elusive for their victims.

Their presence is further eroding trust and social cohesion between citizens, especially those from minority religious communities, and exacerbates tensions that are yet to be addressed through the Republican Dialogue.

We urge CAR to address impunity and implement recommendations to ‘ensure the accountability of foreign mercenaries who have allegedly committed severe human rights and humanitarian law violations’¹, to ‘reform the security and justice sectors by building capacity through improved training, discipline and command’², and to continue with the implementation of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation.³

We also urge CAR to support initiatives that aim to rebuild trust and social cohesion between religious and belief communities, and ensure protection for religious leaders. There was still a notable religious element to much of the violence reported in the country during the reporting period. The asymmetric targeting of certain groups also threatens prospects for peace, undermining a decade of work to reconcile diverse religious and ethnic groups and rebuild social cohesion.

We call on Member States to both pressure and assist the government of CAR in operationalising effective accountability mechanisms designed to bring those responsible for these crimes to justice, and urge CAR to cooperate with international organisations, including the UN peacekeeping mission.

Thank you.

Footnotes:

1. Recommendation 114.65 (Lithuania).
2. Recommendation 114.29 (Australia).
3. Recommendations 114.23 (Canada) and 114.24 (Republic of Korea).