United Nations (TDI): Pakistan has welcomed the progress made by the Central African Republic towards the upcoming electoral cycle, while noting persistent fragility in border areas despite overall security improvement.
Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations (UN),” Ambassador Munir Akram said that the 2025 -2026 elections represent a unique opportunity to consolidate gains made towards strengthening stability in the Central African Republic.
“We welcome the continued efforts of the CAR government to prepare for these elections,” he told the UN Security Council during its debate on the situation in Central African Republic, a small landlocked country that has endured repeated cycles of violence since it gained independence from France over 60 years ago.
The Pakistani envoy lauded the CAR government for continued positive developments in the implementation of the ‘Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation’, which needs integration of some of the country’s armed groups’ fighters into new army units and their leaders into government.
The agreement has galvanized global support, but violence continues in the provinces.
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Akram condemned the attack early last week that killed a peacekeeper serving MINUSCA, the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, and called the attackers to be brought to justice.
Central African Republic has been grappling with conflict since 2012, as fighting between the mostly Christian anti-Balaka militia and the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel coalition left thousands dead and many more dependent on assistance.
In 2013, armed groups occupied the capital and then President Francois Bozize was forced to flee.
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After a brief period of reduced violence in 2015, and polls held in 2016, fighting intensified again.
Peace negotiations started in early 2019 under the auspices of the African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation in CAR, led by the African Union with UN support.
The deal was agreed in Khartoum, Sudan but formally inked in CAR’s capital, Bangui.
