UN Extends Central African Republic Arms Embargo

C.A.R. has experienced violence at the hands of rebel and militia groups since 2013. (Wikimedia Commons)

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) voted on January 31 to extend for another year the arms embargo imposed on the Central African Republic since 2013. The embargo requires the approval of the UNSC for any transfer of weapons to the C.A.R. and must be renewed every year, according to the Washington Post. The UNSC, however, left open the door for domestic security sector reform in the C.A.R., which may lead to the lifting of the embargo, according to French UN Ambassador Francois Delattre.

The country has been in conflict since 2013, when the ousting of then-President Francois Bozize by Muslim Séléka rebels prompted retaliation from Christian militia groups. Since 2013, the country has experienced intense intercommunal violence, with several international observers including France in 2013 and then-UN aid chief Stephen O’Brien in 2017 warning of impending genocide. Rebel groups are estimated to control about 80 percent of the country; according to the United Nations, 700,000 people are displaced, 570,000 have fled the country, and 2.9 million require humanitarian assistance.

To properly arm and equip the C.A.R. domestic security force, the UNSC has called for the establishment of a roadmap by the end of April that could lead to the eventual lifting of the embargo. Even partial embargo relief would enable the central government to directly purchase weapons from foreign suppliers without seeking UNSC approval.

The resolution also contains exceptions for weapons shipments coming from the United States, Russia, France, China, and Belgium. Following a request by the government of the C.A.R. for foreign military assistance in 2017, France and Russia both sent weapons shipments, reflecting an ongoing competition for international influence in the region, according to Reuters. The resolution would allow further shipments from these countries to enter the C.A.R. without approval from the UNSC, reflecting the extent of French and Russian influence in the area.

In the face of increasingly violent and pervasive insurrections, the central government has made a concerted effort to train new troops over the last few years, but weapons supply issues have remained a persistent problem. In the run up to the announcement of the UNSC vote, many civil activists in the C.A.R. protested a potential renewal of the embargo. Brigitte Andara, the mayor of Bangui, the capital, said, “No to renewal of arms embargo. Doing so will be sending wolf after people!” reports Radio Ndeke Luka.

The embargo has also drawn criticism from Catholic bishops, who complain that it is circumvented by insurgents who illegally obtain arms while the central government is prevented from arming itself adequately. A report submitted by the bishops objected to the embargo, stating, “Under these conditions, does the embargo on arms not favour armed groups which continue to inflict terror, desolation, and defy state authority?”

The central government was able to reach a peace deal with 14 armed groups on February 3, which, according to Al-Jazeera, may indicate a path forward for both the lifting of the embargo and for peace in the region.