Nation urgently needs aid, says Annan

In the aftermath of an attempted coup d’etat in May, the Central African Republic (CAR) is “in a crisis situation” and urgently requires international assistance, Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned in a report to the Security Council on Monday. According to the report, CAR is facing an “economic emergency” which must be addressed through prompt assistance from the international community. Annan urged bilateral and multilateral partners to support a new US $75 million “minimum plan of action for social and economic recovery” elaborated by the government of CAR. Annan also called for support of government efforts to restructure the armed forces. “I encourage the international community and the development partners of the Central African Republic, out of concern for peace and stability in this country, to provide urgent support to the restructuring of the defence and security forces, the collection of weapons and the redeployment plan drawn up by the government,” he said. Noting that “poverty is the breeding ground” for the country’s instability, Annan said efforts should be made to provide substantial assistance “to prevent this situation from deteriorating and the Central African Republic from continuing to be the ‘soft underbelly’ of the subregion.” The report also stressed the responsibility of CAR’s own people to establish the conditions for a political system based on consensus. The Secretary-General called for them to urgently re-establish political dialogue, restore confidence among themselves, foster consultations and promote tolerance. “The majority must allow the opposition to carry out its activities freely and the opposition, while performing in a constructive and responsible manner its role of critic and monitor of the actions of the government pending the next elections, must let the majority govern. It is on these conditions alone that the Central African Republic will be able to emerge from this interminable crisis situation which seems to be its defining characteristic.” The report also detailed the activities of the UN Peace-building and Support Office in CAR, which is helping to strengthen the capacity of national institutions to promote human rights while working to ease tensions in the region.