PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
UN Rep. in CAR urges calm after transition leaders step down
New York, US (PANA) - Following the resignation of the Central African Republic's two interim leaders, Mr. Babacar Gaye, UN Special Representative and Head of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office for the Central African Republic (BINUCA), on Saturday called for calm, urging the authorities to mobilize around the speedy election of new transitional leadership.
PANA in New York quotes a UN statement as stating that Mr. Gaye took note of the resignation on Friday of President Michel Djotodia and Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye.
He called on members of the National Transitional Council (CNT) to mobilize around the urgent election of a new transitional executive, as agreed at the extraordinary summit of Heads of States of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) on 10 January, in N'djamena, Chad.
He stressed that the past year's events had profoundly damaged the relationship between Muslim and Christian communities in the CAR, and warned that there was a real danger of further upheaval along religious lines.
"The horrific cycle of violence and retaliation between communities must stop immediately, Distrust is high and violence has fuelled anger and a thirst for revenge," he noted.
The envoy highlighted the need to prioritize reconciliation efforts, saying "disarmament of combatants in accordance with international standards is essential, as well as the importance of demobilization and reintegration of the former fighters".
Mr. Gaye called on the people and the leaders of the CAR to maintain calm and show maturity following the leaders' resignations.
"Along with the International Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA), French forces, in Operation SANGARIS, have made important progress in securing Bangui," he said, adding that their efforts must be supported, especially as numerous threats persisted.
"The entire UN System and our humanitarian partners are fully mobilized to assist approximately two million people who are in urgent need of assistance across the country," he said.
On Friday, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) issued an appeal for US$40.2 million for CAR.
That request, which is for the period to the end of March, followed appeals launched by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in late December for US$152.2 million in immediate support needs for a 100-day plan for CAR.
UNHCR's supplementary appeal for CAR aims to support more than 1 million people, including 86,400 refugees in neighbouring countries and 958,000 internally displaced persons.
Armed attacks between ex-Seleka and Christian anti-balaka militias escalated significantly in the past two weeks, despite the creation of a transitional government following the attack a year ago by mostly Muslim Seleka rebels which forced President Francois Bozize to flee.
Since then more than 1,000 people are estimated to have been killed, nearly 1 million driven from their homes while 2.2 million, about half the population, need humanitarian aid.
-0- PANA AA/MA 11Jan2014
PANA in New York quotes a UN statement as stating that Mr. Gaye took note of the resignation on Friday of President Michel Djotodia and Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye.
He called on members of the National Transitional Council (CNT) to mobilize around the urgent election of a new transitional executive, as agreed at the extraordinary summit of Heads of States of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) on 10 January, in N'djamena, Chad.
He stressed that the past year's events had profoundly damaged the relationship between Muslim and Christian communities in the CAR, and warned that there was a real danger of further upheaval along religious lines.
"The horrific cycle of violence and retaliation between communities must stop immediately, Distrust is high and violence has fuelled anger and a thirst for revenge," he noted.
The envoy highlighted the need to prioritize reconciliation efforts, saying "disarmament of combatants in accordance with international standards is essential, as well as the importance of demobilization and reintegration of the former fighters".
Mr. Gaye called on the people and the leaders of the CAR to maintain calm and show maturity following the leaders' resignations.
"Along with the International Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA), French forces, in Operation SANGARIS, have made important progress in securing Bangui," he said, adding that their efforts must be supported, especially as numerous threats persisted.
"The entire UN System and our humanitarian partners are fully mobilized to assist approximately two million people who are in urgent need of assistance across the country," he said.
On Friday, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) issued an appeal for US$40.2 million for CAR.
That request, which is for the period to the end of March, followed appeals launched by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in late December for US$152.2 million in immediate support needs for a 100-day plan for CAR.
UNHCR's supplementary appeal for CAR aims to support more than 1 million people, including 86,400 refugees in neighbouring countries and 958,000 internally displaced persons.
Armed attacks between ex-Seleka and Christian anti-balaka militias escalated significantly in the past two weeks, despite the creation of a transitional government following the attack a year ago by mostly Muslim Seleka rebels which forced President Francois Bozize to flee.
Since then more than 1,000 people are estimated to have been killed, nearly 1 million driven from their homes while 2.2 million, about half the population, need humanitarian aid.
-0- PANA AA/MA 11Jan2014
