Valentine Rugwabiza, UN Special Representative for the Central African Republic and head of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), noted during the UN Security Council meeting on the Central African Republic on Thursday in Bangui, held in the presence of the Central African Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sylvie Valérie Baipo-Temon, that the security situation “remains difficult” in the border areas of the Central African Republic (CAR).
“The Haut-Mbomou prefecture, in the south-east of the Central African Republic, has thus experienced an intensification of violence against civilians, against a backdrop of escalation of the conflict and reprisals between elements of the Unity armed group for peace in the Central African Republic (UPC) and the Azande self-defense group,” said Rugwabiza, whose remarks were relayed on the official Minusca website.
Faced with this situation, the official indicated that MINUSCA had extended its footprint to other localities in the Haut-Mbomou prefecture, paving the way for the extension and reestablishment of the civil and security authority of the State. in this region.
Rugwabiza revealed that the mission had mobilized its limited technical and logistical capacities to improve land access to Haut-Mbomou prefecture.
The head of MINUSCA also denounced the disinformation campaigns targeting this mission.
“Despite the progress recorded in the implementation of MINUSCA’s mandate… I am deeply concerned by the continued disinformation campaigns against the Mission, with a resumption of hostile content targeting MINUSCA. This further complicates the already difficult context in which the Mission is operating,” said Ms. Valentine Rugwabiza.
In this regard, she called on the Central African government to ensure that “identified persons, including civil servants, who circulate and echo such campaigns posing a significant risk to the safety and security of our soldiers of peacekeeping, accountability.
