Statemenet by Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva at a UNSC Briefing on the Situation in the Central African Region
Madam President,
We would like to thank Abdou Abarry, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Centarl Africa, and Gilberto da Piedade Veríssimo, President of the Commission of the Economic Community of Central Africa (ECCAS). We are grateful for their briefings.
Russia has been consistently supporting the efforts by the United Nations Office for Central Africa (UNOCA). We highly value the work of UNOCA in conflict prevention and management in the subregion.
Central African countries continue to face complex challenges related both to peace and security as well as to state-building and economic development.
We attach particular importance to regional efforts to combat terrorism. We note the effectiveness of joint actions by African states as part of the Regional Multinational Armed Forces. We do believe that the states of the region need to coordinate their shared political approaches, and to determine their common objectives and operational procedures to counter threats. The international community, in turn, has an obligation to deliver support for these efforts, including by providing predictable funding.
At the same time, we are concerned about the peristent destructive potential of Boko Haram and the activities of ISIL affiliates in the subregion. The strengthening of the Islamic State in West Africa is negatively affecting the situation in the countries of the Lake Chad basin.
We stand ready to share with African countries our counterterrorism expertise and experience, and to assist them in enhancing security on the continent. We are open to implementing joint counterterrorism projects and will continue to provide the necessary technical assistance to our African colleagues.
We are alarmed by the ongoing violence in the north-west and south-west of Cameroon. We advocate finding a political solution to address tensions in the regions that are afflicted by armed conflict.
We congratulate our Chadian friends on the successful completion of the transitional period. We intend to productively engage with N'Djamena both bilaterally and through international fora.
We welcome the significant progress that has been achieved in the transition in Gabon. We congratulate the government of this country and the Gabonese people on holding presidential elections, which is milestone towards ensuring stability and national harmony. It is a pleasure for us to note Libreville’s reinstatement in the African Union, which will enable our Gabonese colleagues to make a meaningful contribution to the work of this continental organization.
We are encouraged by the incremental stabilization of the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR). In recent years, Bangui, with the support from bilateral partners and the United Nations, has managed to make significant headway in combating illegal armed groups.
This past April, the CAR government once again, and in deed, reaffirmed its commitment to further advancing the political process. We call on the parties who are ready to negotiate to use these nacsent opportunities and to constructively engage in the dialogue with the authorities.
We will continue to support our Central African friends, including during the upcoming electoral period, which is of crucial importance. We trust that the UN Stabilization Mission in the CAR (MINUSCA) will make a significant contribution hereto.
We welcome the further strengthening of official cooperation between the CAR and Chad, particularly on border issues. The effective joint efforts by the two countries are key to the successful eradication of cross-border challenges and threats.
As the crisis in Sudan shows, problems in certain states tend to significantly affect their neighbors. Countries of the region need to be exceedingly constructive when it comes to resolving the conflict in Sudan – this is, first and foremost, in their own interests. The difficult humanitarian situation in the subregion is a striking example of this. We advocate scaling up international humanitarian assistance and enhancing targeted support for the countries of Central Africa.
We endorse the Secretary-General's call to reform international financial institutions and restructure the external debt of African countries. This will enable them to free up national resources, which are currently being used for servicing international loans, and redirect them toward developing their economies and social systems.
We do not support what is being actively championed by a number of delegations and their like-minded colleagues within the UN, namely the link between climate issues and peace and security matter, and we reject the promotion of this agenda within the UN Security Council. We believe that measures to facilitate adaptation and aleviate the consequences of climate change should be addressed by specialized UN funds and programs that have the relevant mandates to do so.
Russia will continue to support efforts of the UN personnel in Central Africa through the mandate handed down by the Security Council mandate and provide the necessary assistance to the states of the subregion balaterally as well.
Thank you.
