Ban suggests 6-point initiative to ease tensions in Central African

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has proposed to the Security Council a six-point initiative to immediately address the "greatest risks" being faced by the people of the Central African Republic. A cycle of revenge killings and property destruction is spreading among Muslims and Christians in the country, despite the presence of African and French troops. "Most importantly," Ban called, late on Thursday, for the "rapid reinforcement" of the African Union and French troops now on the ground with additional deployments of at least 3,000 more troops and police. These new personnel, he urged, "should deploy as soon as possible in the coming days and weeks, and have the necessary mobility, including air mobility, to be able to operate wherever required." He recalled that French President Francois Hollande has recently announced that French troops - Sangaris - will be reinforced to reach a total of 2,000, and the European Union (EU) is also poised to increase its planned deployment from 500 to 1,000, with an initial deployment as early as next month. "I am grateful for these commitments. But more are needed, quickly, and the wider international community must share the burden," he urged. Ban also proposed that all international forces in the CAR be brought under a "coordinated command," and that their mission be focused on the most urgent priorities: containing the violence, protecting civilians, preventing further displacements, creating a secure environment for the delivery of aid, and laying the groundwork for the handover to a UN peacekeeping force "as soon as possible." Third, Ban proposed that the African troops that will join this force be provided with logistic and financial support, including rations, water and fuel, and reimbursement for their major non-lethal military equipment, suggesting that the estimated cost of this package, consisting of the bare essentials, would be 38 million for a six-month bridging period. He further called for "rapid, tangible" support to the government of the CAR to help it establish a minimum capacity to function, including the financial assistance necessary to get police back on the streets, judges back in the courtrooms, and prison guards back on the job. He also called for the acceleration of a political and reconciliation process to prevent a further fraying of the communal bonds, and to lay the ground for an end to the conflict. "Community and religious leaders will have an especially important role to play in promoting tolerance, peaceful coexistence and nonviolence," he stressed. Finally, he appealed for "urgent funding" for humanitarian aid, which is currently insufficient to address the crisis, complaining that only 15 per cent of the resources needed for this year have been received, despite generous pledges made at last month's funding conference in Brussels. Ban said his initiative was well received by a number of member states, as some are considering sending additional troops and police and others have pledged to provide budget support for the Government. "These commitments will bring tangible dividends in the coming days," he stressed. "I urge the Council to support my proposal, and I urge Member States to take the action necessary to implement it. Let us show the people of the Central African Republic that the United Nations stands with them and that the support they so urgently need is on its way," he appealed. He recalled that the Council had asked him late last year to present his recommendations next month for a future UN peacekeeping operation with a robust mandate to protect civilians and promote stability. "But the deployment of a peacekeeping operation, if authorized, will take months. The people of the Central African Republic do not have months to wait. The international community must act decisively now to prevent any further worsening of the situation and to respond to the dire needs of the people," he argued. Ban noted that innocent civilians are being killed in large numbers purposefully targeted for their religious beliefs, for their community affiliation and for who they are. "Muslims in particular are being targeted. But the ex-Seleka (Muslims) continue to attack Christians as well." "When innocent civilians are being murdered in large numbers - deliberately targeted in the most brutal fashion simply because of who they are - the world must act," he later told reporters. He said whole populations are being moved, warning that "a creeping de facto partition of the country is setting in, with Muslims in one part and Christians in another. This separation is laying the seeds of conflict and instability for years, maybe generations, to come." The crisis unfolding in the CAR, he noted, represents a "test for the entire international community. Today's emergency is of another, more disturbing magnitude. It is a calamity with a strong claim on the conscience of humankind." UN aid Chief Valerie Amos also expressed shock at what she saw in Bossangoa earlier today in the CAR, stressing the need for more troops on the ground to provide security and protection across the country.