UN envoy completes diplomatic and advocacy tour

The Representative of the UN Secretary-General in the Central African Republic (CAR), General Lamine Cisse, recently completed travels to the US and Europe in an effort to draw attention to ongoing efforts to consolidate peace efforts in that nation, the UN Peace-Building Office in the CAR (known by its French acronym, BONUCA) reported from the capital, Bangui, on Wednesday. Cisse's tour began with a visit to UN headquarters in New York, at the invitation of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, for a meeting with other representatives of the secretary-general in which the participants could share their experiences. Cisse gave a presentation on BONUCA's efforts in the domains of arms control and the demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration of former combatants into society. After participating in a number of other conferences in the New York region, Cisse travelled to Brussels, Belgium, where he met representatives of the European Commission's foreign development division. Following his return to Bangui on 20 March, Cisse held meetings with CAR Prime Minister Martin Ziguele and President Ange-Felix Patasse, during which he briefed them on his recent mission and on prospects for continued support from the international donor community. They also discussed ongoing efforts to resolve tensions with neighbouring Chad, where the former army chief of staff, General Francois Bozize, sought refuge last November after being accused of involvement in a failed coup attempt launched in Bangui on 28 May 2001.