S/PV.6449 Security Council

I thank Mr. Mahmoud for his briefing and I now give the floor to the representative of the Central African Republic.

I thank the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Youssef Mahmoud, for the briefing he has just given us on the last report of the Secretary-General (S/2010/611) on the activities of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT), the mandate of which expires on 31 December, pursuant to resolution 1923 (2010). I note that the report contains a certain number of recommendations and lessons learned for future peacekeeping missions. Its lessons are therefore a source of inspiration not just for the peacekeeping and peacebuilding organs, but also for States. Indeed, we stress that a series of initial misunderstandings were ultimately overcome. We thank Mr. Victor da Silva Angelo, the previous Special Representative of the Secretary-General, who helped to organize MINURCAT. The Central African Republic notes with satisfaction the withdrawal of MINURCAT, which began on 15 November with the closing of the two military camps in Birao. We acknowledge that MINURCAT discharged its tasks within the limits of its capacities and contributed to ensuring a relatively stable environment in the north-east of the country through its deterrent presence; by assisting refugees, internally displaced persons, and humanitarian agencies; and by resolving inter-ethnic conflicts. The Central African Republic has benefited from the assistance of MINURCAT in establishing its authority over the region. We appreciate the positive role it played throughout its mandate. The announced withdrawal of MINURCAT led to debates within the Security Council about the follow- up stages, given the ongoing threats in the north-east due to the limited capacities of the Central African forces, the fragility of State institutions and the persistence of insecurity. The idea of a transition period was even mentioned. Recommendations were made by the international community to strengthen and deploy the Mission for the Consolidation of Peace in the Central African Republic, while the Central African Government pleaded for the operational capacities of its own armed forces to be strengthened. Time, however, was all too limited for it to achieve all its wishes. While the Government gradually prepared to deploy troops to Birao, that city was attacked on 24 November, to our collective surprise. The attackers were armed with heavy weaponry, including 14.5 millimetre bi-tube machine guns, 12.7 millimetre rounds and mounted rocket launchers, while the Central African troops had nothing more than Kalashnikovs. There was no comparison. Moreover, the rebel groups came from Darfur to join up with the Convention of Patriots for Justice and Peace (CPJP). The Central Africans, with whom we are very familiar, do not have such sophisticated weapons. We believe that they want to reproduce the situation in Darfur in north-eastern Central African Republic, which is a very important area geopolitically and geostrategically and the soft underbelly of the region where the rebels of Chad, the Sudan and the Central African Republic can converge easily. We would add that the rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army occupy four prefectures in the Central African Republic. The Birao event does not only concern the CPJP and its search for weaponry; it also endangers international peace and security in the frontier regions. We ask the members of the Security Council to take these facts into consideration and to be alert to a possible rebel coalition. As members of the Security Council know, the Central African Republic is at a crossroads. It is obligated not only to hold successful general elections in 2011, but also to guarantee security throughout its territory. The Government has chosen the electoral period in which the people shall do their civic duty to coincide with the dry season, which is also a dangerous season rife with armed groups, rebels, bandits and road-blockers. That reality was reflected in the attack on Birao. However, we note the implementation of certain regional agreements with respect to this situation, for which we are grateful. Calm has now been restored. On 10 December, the President of the Republic even visited Birao to encourage the armed forces and reassure the people of the area. We reiterate once again the appeal made here on 10 August and 20 October by Minister for Foreign Affairs Antoine Gambi to the international community to support the Central African armed forces with equipment, transportation, observation capacities and military materiel so that they can accomplish their mission with enthusiasm and efficiency. The same request has been addressed to friendly countries. We have yet to receive a response to that appeal as the Government prepares to enter a critical period. We have expressed our ongoing desire for reinforcements for our security and defence forces, which cannot remain passive and ill-equipped in the face of regional forces that are very well trained and equipped. The major responsibility falls to our troops, who must be properly equipped if they are to fulfil their sovereign duty and be proactive in combat. Regional missions are observer missions with very limited mandates. The withdrawal of MINURCAT would therefore appear to be an opportunity to launch security sector reform and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. We therefore call on the international community to spare no effort in helping us to move these processes forward. In conclusion, we thank MINURCAT and all contributing countries that have helped us through this time, howsoever brief. We thank the Secretary-General for his very useful and enlightening report, and express our gratitude to Mr. Mahmoud, who has devoted himself to the Central African Republic through the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central African Republic and MINURCAT. Attention must not be withdrawn from the situation in the north-east of the country, which remains fragile. We request the assistance of the international community and ask friendly countries to pursue their efforts to equip our security and defence forces and to ensure a smooth electoral process by the deadline established.

I call on the representative of Chad.

It is a genuine pleasure for me to congratulate you, Madame, on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for this month. Allow me also to welcome the presence of Mr. Mahmoud, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General. We welcome the high-quality report of the Secretary-General (S/2010/611) to the Security Council on the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT). It gives a true picture of the reality on the ground and makes relevant observations and recommendations that should be taken into account by the Security Council. That allows us to limit our statement to the absolute minimum, given that the Security Council is already overburdened by the many crises taking place across the globe. If the Security Council will allow me, we would like to stress in particular that the non-renewal of the MINURCAT mandate is fully justified, and we welcome the successful implementation of the agreement between Chad and the United Nations on the drawdown of the Mission from eastern Chad and the transfer of responsibilities to the Chadian Government. Since the drawdown process began, we are pleased to have seen that the security situation has improved in eastern Chad, and that improvement has taken place despite some isolated and minor cases of insecurity. Therefore, we are far from seeing the catastrophic situation that some parties said would arise when the Government of Chad asked for the withdrawal of MINURCAT from eastern Chad, although we still need the continued support of the international community to strengthen our financial, technical and material capacities in terms of protecting civilians. The Chadian Government, through me, would like to reiterate its commitment and determination to continue to efficiently fulfil its mission to protect civilians, particularly refugees and internally displaced persons (IDP), including their voluntary return to their homes. To do so, we are counting, of course, on the support of the international community in many forms, particularly in terms of financing a plan for sustaining the Détachement intégré de sécurité (DIS), because that original police force, which was set up within the framework of the MINURCAT mandate, has always played a vital role. It was the DIS that ensured security in the refugee and IDP camps and the areas surrounding them. It has provided security escorts and ensured security in the zone in coordination with the National Gendarmerie and the Nomad National Guard of Chad. In 2011, our plan for sustaining the DIS foresees a budget that will cover operations and logistics at a cost of about $20 million, which is far less than the hundreds of millions of dollars going to MINURCAT each month. For that reason, we are optimistic that the Security Council will be diligent in ensuring that the international community will continue to support us in fulfilling our security and humanitarian missions after the full withdrawal of MINURCAT. For our part, we have taken measures to support, as best we can, the protection of civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law. Among other initiatives, the Coordination Nationale de Soutien aux Activités Humanitaires et au Détachement Intégré de Sécurité (CONSAHDIS) was created to replace the Coordination nationale d’appui à la force internationale à l’est du Tchad (CONAFIT), which is well known. I cannot close without expressing my pleasure at the excellent cooperation that has always existed between the United Nations and my Government in dealing with the security and humanitarian challenges resulting from the situation reigning in the eastern part of my country. Of course, MINURCAT was not as perfect a mission as we had hoped it would be. That United Nations mission of a very special nature, in which many hopes were placed, did not meet our numerous expectations. Nevertheless, in a very special environment and at a given point in time, MINURCAT did play a positive role in terms of protecting vulnerable people, refugees, displaced persons, humanitarian workers and others. We should acknowledge that role and pay tribute to it. The international community, in particular the Security Council and the peace- and justice-loving countries, should be thanked here. The institutions and donor countries that provided troops, funding and equipment should also be warmly thanked. We also recognize and thank the generous donors who have set up the special trust fund for financing the DIS. We also recognize the tireless efforts of the humanitarian workers, particularly those of the various non-governmental organizations, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Food Programme, the United Nations Development Programme, and so forth. They should be both thanked and acknowledged by us. Nothing would have been possible and nothing will be possible in the future without their multidimensional support and their efforts on the ground.

On behalf of the Council, I would like to express our gratitude to Mr. Youssef Mahmoud, who today gave his final briefing to the Council in his capacity as Special Representative of the Secretary- General and Head of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT). We have appreciated his leadership of MINURCAT and we wish him every success in his future endeavours. There are no further speakers on my list. In accordance with the understanding reached in the Council’s prior consultations, I invite Council members to informal consultations to continue our discussion on this subject.