Explosive devices threaten Central African Republic population: UN special representative

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The special representative of the UN Secretary-General for the Central African Republic (CAR) warned on Wednesday against the threat of explosive devices in the country.

"Explosive ordnance devices, as well as light weapons, are not only a threat to the population, and peacekeepers, but equally the most serious constraint to the delivery of humanitarian assistance in the western region where 50% of the Central African population live," Valentine Rugwabiza said at a Security Council meeting on the situation in the Central African Republic.

Rugwabiza, who is also the head of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the CAR (MINUSCA), said countries in the region need to scale up cooperation toward effective border management and control to stem the proliferation of these weapons.

She told the Council that a peacekeeper, serving under MINUSCA, was killed in January in the CAR following the detonation of an explosive device.

"The tragic death of this young peacekeeper which comes in the backdrop of similar incidents in the last few months, must give cause for expediency in the handling of threats posed to peacekeepers by explosive ordnance devices," she said, requesting the Council's support for an "urgent, dedicated and truly multi-dimensional" response to the threat for the protection of civilians and safety and security of UN peacekeepers.

The utmost is needed to be done to prevent the spread of the little weapons to other regions of the Central African Republic, added Rugwabiza.

She also encouraged Council member states and partners with relevant expertise and institutional capabilities to support the Central African Republic’s national defense and security forces and in doing so supports CAR efforts and progress in building a professional army and internal security forces.

"There is simply no alternative to lasting security and securitization of the core population and preservation of the sovereignty of the Central African territory," she added.