UN mission provides support ahead of CAR's planned local elections

Preparations are underway in Central African Republic for local elections due to take place in October for the first time in over 36 years.

MINUSCA, the country's United Nations peacekeeping mission, is providing multifaceted support, a key provision of the most recent peace agreement, the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation, signed in 2019.

“Operations to review the electoral register will begin soon with the support of MINUSCA, which will deploy 104 tonnes of equipment and transport 384 people,” said its spokesperson, Florence Marchal.

But, she said, MINUSCA’s support was not limited to logistical and technical aspects.

“On the political level, it is reflected in the good offices of the Secretary-General’s Special Representative to create favourable conditions for the holding of an inclusive, participatory, and peaceful electoral process.”

MINUSCA has allocated $1.3 million in direct funding to support revision of the electoral roll and is continuing its advocacy with other international partners to mobilize additional resources.

Marchal said its advocacy also aims to encourage the participation of women and young people.

Since the start of the civil war in 2013, the country had struggled to bring an end to armed rebellions despite several peace agreements.

In terms of security, Marchal said MINUSCA was working with the national defence and security forces to develop an election security plan.

“Updating the electoral roll is the first step in the process, which includes local, then presidential and legislative elections. An estimated 800,000 new voters need to be registered, out of a total of 2 million, since the last revision in 2020,” she said..

The elections are part of the implementation of the 2019 political agreement for peace and reconciliation in the Central African Republic, which promotes the decentralization of the peace process.