Disappointing results – little hope for peace and reconciliation in the Central African Republic (June 5)

On Thursday, six months after the beginning of the French peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) expressed disappointment about the results. "The 1,600 French and 5,000 African soldiers failed in the attempt to disarm all of the conflict parties, to secure peace and to promote reconstruction and reconciliation," said the STP's Africa-consultant, Ulrich Delius, in Göttingen on Thursday. "Large massacres could be prevented, but violence against civilians is quite common – and the Muslim people are being expelled from many regions of the country." Last weekend, the approximately 2,000 members of the remaining Muslim minority in district PK-5 of the capital Bangui took to the streets and demanded to be brought to safety, since they feel that they cannot be protected any longer.

According to the STP, the French Sangaris mission (which started on December 5, 2013) had been short of financial and personal resources right from the beginning. Also, the mandate proved to be deceptive, because there were hardly any state structures left in the civil war country that could be protected, and no peace to be secured. "Before the upcoming deployment of the UN peacekeeping forces, which is scheduled for September 2014, the country is in urgent need of a credible peace plan and more initiatives for reconstruction and reconciliation. Otherwise, the peacekeepers will at best be able to enforce a short respite in the killings," warned Delius.

In late May, the violence in the Central African Republic escalated once again. Even Bangui, which the French troops had rashly declared safe, was again attacked by militias. Thus, three young Muslims were murdered and mutilated on May 25. They were on their way to a football game that was supposed to encourage reconciliation between Christians and Muslims. The young men's sexual organs were cut off and their hearts cut out of their bodies. Three days later, alleged Muslim Seleka militias committed a brutal attack on about 9,000 believers who had come together in the Catholic Church of Our Lady of Fatima. 17 people were killed in the attack, 27 were abducted. Both Christians and Muslims, shocked by the violence, accused the government of being too careless.

The government reacted helplessly: In order to curb the public protests, the possibility to send text messages via mobile phones was suspended. As the government was unable to spark any credible peace initiatives, the country might soon be on the edge of being split up into a Muslim East and a Christian West.

Ulrich Delius, head of STP's Africa department, is available for further questions: +49 551 49906 27 or afrika@gfbv.de.