Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations

Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations

Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva at UNSC briefing on the situation in the Central African Republic

We thank SRSG Mankeur Ndiaye, Mr. João Samuel Caholo and Mr. Bertino Matias Matondo for their briefings. We also welcome H.E. Mr. Sylvie Valérie Baipo-Temon, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Central African Republic, to this meeting.

We closely follow the developments in the CAR. We believe that the situation there was generally stabilized, and combat capacity of the illegal armed formations was curbed. In this regard, we welcome President Touadera announcing the ceasefire on 15 October 2021.

State authority in the regions is consolidating, the work of judiciary system is improving, the number of law enforcement employees deployed throughout the country is growing. Preparations for municipal elections, scheduled for September 2022, are underway.

We are convinced that the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the CAR of 6 February 2019 remains fundamental for achieving lasting peace and security in the country. We note the efforts of the authorities aimed at implementing the President’s initiative on organizing a republican dialogue. It is essential that the authorities are committed to ensuring inclusiveness when implementing the roadmap for revitalization of the Political Agreement that was elaborated under regional assistance.

We welcome active involvement of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region and the Economic Community of Central African States in the efforts made by the United Nations and Bangui’s international partners in order to stabilize the situation in the CAR. We underscore that any mediator initiatives in the format of sub-regional organizations must be coordinated with the government of CAR.

We believe it important to be guided by priorities that President of the CAR outlined at a UNSC meeting on 18 October 2021. Among them cessation of hostilities, disbanding of illegal armed formations, implementation of programs for demobilization, disarmament and reintegration of militants, security sector reform, reinforcement of national borders, and progressive promotion of the peace process.

We note that alliance of the illegal armed formations called 'Coalition of Patriots for Change' and various groups that split from it do not give up on armed struggle up to plans for o forceful takeover. In these circumstances, we believe it is critical to foster the potential of legally elected authorities.

It is our understanding that unless the leadership of CAR receives effective support with enhancing combat capacity of the national armed forces, it might take long time to overcome the internal crisis. We are convinced that well-trained and skillful army and law enforcement is an important prerequisite for long-term stabilization in the CAR.

MINUSCA should be a central element of ensuring security in the country, especially taking into account the peacekeepers’ tasks of countering the illegal armed formations in the interests of protecting civilians. We stand for closer coordination of MINUSCA, Bangui, and bilateral partners on the ground. MINUSCA’s mandate can be fully implemented only if it preserves confidential dialogue and mutual understanding with the host authorities. Therefore we expect that the planned changes to MINUSCA’s leadership will positively impact the Mission’s relations with Bangui.

Russia abstained during the UNSC vote on renewal of MINUSCA’s mandate under resolution 2605 that took place on 12 November 2021. In doing so we sent a signal to the leadership of the Mission indicating the need to address the shortcomings of MINUSCA’s work, in particular establish due level of interaction with the authorities in Bangui.

At the same time, we should be mindful that MINUSCA cannot and should not substitute for the efforts of national authorities. It is them who bear the main responsibility for the future of the country and for protecting civilian population. That is why we need to keep strengthening CAR’s own potential. However the regime of arms embargo puts obstacles to this task. UNSC sanctions regime needs to be timely adapted to the situation on the ground. Russia takes consistent steps seeking to relax the embargo up to the moment when it is fully lifted. UNSC resolution 2588 of 29 July 2021 envisaged (as requested by Bangui) further easing of the effective sanctions regime. We should keep making steps to accommodate CAR’s official authorities.

Russia helps Bangui build its military capacities. With the knowledge of UNSC Sanctions Committee 2127, we have repeatedly supplied Central African Republic with military purpose products. 94 nationals of the CAR have enrolled to study in Russian military academies. There are Russian trainers working successfully in the CAR. The campaign aimed at discrediting them raises our perplexity – to say the least. We remind that Russian specialists are present in the Central African Republic on the basis of a request of CAR’s legitimately elected authorities. Russia fully complies with all restrictions that Security Council imposed on the country.

Today we again heard some accusations addressed to Russian specialists. In light of the recent global events, including some developments in Africa, we are struck by the hypocrisy of some of our colleagues’ statements. While underscoring a sovereign right of states to choose partners and alliances, our Western colleagues may go hysterical if they do not like partners that a state has chosen, and cry that a sovereign state in question allegedly has no right to embark on such partnerships. In one case, if a regional organization supports Western decisions or policies – they say it is good. But in other cases, e.g. with CAR, assessments of regional actors and organizations are ignored, and their position as to the lifting of arms embargo is not taken into account.

Some countries, whose representatives are sitting around this table, spent years rendering so-called military assistance to African states, and not only African for that matter. Then, several years after, they left those states behind, as was the case in Afghanistan. We will discuss another episode in this context later today.

After then, for some reason, the guilt and responsibility for what happened is attributed to anyone but those who had been present in those states for many years.

One after another, our Security Council colleagues repeated unverified information about alleged cases of human rights violations and crimes. But why don’t you demand from each other results of investigations of an air strike against Kabul that killed 7 children; air strikes in Iraq, Hajin and Baghouz, where 80 people died and no one was held accountable? Wasn’t anyone responsible? Why don’t you raise those issues on a regular basis?

In conclusion, as this is the last briefing of SRSG Ndiaye in his current capacity, I would like to thank him again and wish him every success in his future offices.

Thank you.