Reinforcements of peacekeepers to stabilize the Central African Republic.

This is the objective declared by the UN Security Council in approving, on Friday March 12, a resolution providing for the gradual increase of nearly 3,000 peacekeepers in the strength of Minusca, its peacekeeping force in the Central African Republic.

Written by France, the text was adopted by 14 members of the Council out of 15, only Russia, active in the Central African Republic, abstaining, according to diplomats.

In a statement, the French ambassador to the UN, Nicolas de Rivière, assured that "this resolution gives Minusca the means to continue to fulfill its mandate to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian access".

"Behind this figure of 3,690 personnel, the Security Council validates a plan to improve the capabilities of Minusca, in particular through the supply of specific equipment such as helicopters," he said.

The resolution provides for an increase of 2,750 men in the authorized limit for the deployment of military personnel, and of 940 for that relating to the police.

"Future deterioration"?

This rare increase in the size of a peacekeeping mission brings the authorized strength to 14,400 military personnel and 3,020 police officers.

The Minusca mission was already one of the largest UN operations in the world, with an annual budget of around $ 1 billion.

These reinforcements had been requested by the Central African Republic, Minusca and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

At the end of 2020 and until the beginning of 2021, the peacekeepers had to face an offensive by armed groups wanting to overthrow the authorities established in Bangui.

Rwandan and Russian soldiers, sent to the Central African Republic at the end of 2020 in a bilateral framework, had lent them a hand.

The resolution underlines that the reinforcements of blue helmets granted "aim to strengthen the capacity of Minusca to accomplish its priorities", namely the protection of civilians, and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.

They also aim to help the Mission "to avoid (and oppose if necessary) a future deterioration of the security situation, while creating a space to advance the political process", specifies the text.

The UN decision comes two days before the holding, on Sunday, of a second round of legislative elections in the Central African Republic.

 With AFP

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