United Nations peacekeepers in the Central African Republic (CAR) said Wednesday that the town of Bambari remains under their control, and has not been captured by armed groups as previously reported. Vladimir Monteiro, a spokesman for the MINUSCA peacekeeping mission, said that some rebels attacked soldiers on Tuesday and began…
United Nations peacekeepers in the Central African Republic are helping to battle the coronavirus pandemic alongside the government led by President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, and one of their priorities is shutting down misinformation about COVID-19. MINUSCA is distributing 50,000 solar-powered radios to communities in CAR to improve people’s access to health…
MINUSCA, the United Nations mission in Central African Republic (CAR), said Monday that its officials are targets of a new smear campaign in newspapers and on social media. Their statement comes as some groups in CAR plan demonstrations next week to oppose certain UN officials, who they accuse of giving…
The Human Rights Watch organization says that while last week’s extension of the United Nations peacekeeping mandate in Central African Republic is needed for protecting civilians, attacks against them continue despite a peace deal earlier this year. The rights group says there are still reports of attacks in Ouham-Pendé, Kemo,…
An elusive peace deal between the Central African Republic and armed rebel groups operating there has finally been reached, according to the African Union (AU) and MINUSCA, the United Nations mission in CAR. Smail Chergui, the AU commissioner for peace and security, announced the deal on Saturday following days of…
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday said he stood in solidarity with the Central African Republic (CAR), as violence against civilians and UN peacekeepers again increases. His statement follows an attack Thursday on an IDP camp in the town of Alindao that left at least 37 people dead. That attack was…
President Faustin Touadéra of the Central African Republic appealed for an end to an arms embargo on his conflict-torn country during a speech before the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday. Touadéra praised MINUSCA – the UN mission for CAR – for its role in protecting civilians…
Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), said the nation remains under threat and requires the continued support of the UN Security Council in order to assist the CAR in restoring government authority, and meet humanitarian needs. Nearly one in four Central…
A United Nations (UN) peacekeeper from Mauritania was killed and 11 others were injured Tuesday when anti-Balaka fighters attacked a temporary base in Tagbara established by MINUSCA, the UN mission in the Central African Republic. At least 22 of the anti-Balaka fighters also were killed in the hours-long attack in…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Another attack in the Central African Republic has claimed the lives of six aid workers, including one humanitarian worker with the United Nations Children’s Fund. “All of us at UNICEF are deeply saddened and shocked by the killing of our colleague, along with five other education workers who were attacked…
The United Nations needs to “change the way we are doing business” when it comes to peacekeeping operations, because the high-risk environments encountered in today’s conflict zones – especially on the African continent – come with new and greater threats to the traditional mission. That’s the conclusion of a newly…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
The 48-hour window for armed groups in the Central African Republic (CAR) to pull back from Paoua, a center of humanitarian aid for 60,000 people near the border with Chad, is set to expire. MINUSCA, the United Nations mission in CAR, issued the ultimatum on Wednesday after weeks of violent…
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres will wrap up his visit to Central African Republic on Friday after meetings this week with President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, African Union ambassadors and other key stakeholders. In Bangui, the UN chief highlighted four linked components – security, state-building, national reconciliation and development – he…
Roman Catholic priests surrounded by violence in the rapidly deteriorating Central African Republic have taken to social media to appeal for help, and in the process accused United Nations peacekeepers of abandoning them. “You were warned, but you deliberately decided to abandon this town,” wrote Father Jean-Alain Zembi a priest…
Confirmation of the deaths of six Red Cross volunteers in Central African Republic (CAR) last week comes with a warning about how dangerous CAR is becoming for humanitarian aid workers. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRC) said the six local volunteers were attending a crisis meeting at…