Fractured Peacebuilding in the Central African Republic Lessons for African Union Engagement Gustavo De Carvalho and Amanda Lucey
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POLICY BRIEF 87 | JULY 2016 Fractured peacebuilding in the Central African Republic Lessons for African Union engagement Gustavo de Carvalho and Amanda Lucey Summary Key findings The Central African Republic (CAR) has seen decades of fractured peacebuilding processes. After holding elections in 2016, the country can The impact of the African seize the opportunity to reach sustainable peace. This policy brief looks 1Union (AU) can be seen most clearly in its capacity to at the role played by the African Union in supporting CAR’s peacebuilding convene stakeholders, including and post-conflict reconstruction and development processes; and identifies government, thereby supporting ways for the continental body to enhance its engagements. larger peacebuilding initiatives. The AU’s mandate to 2 engage on a post-conflict reconstruction and development THE PEACEBUILDING FIELD is desperate for more effective responses to countries framework can be more clearly facing or emerging from conflicts. A growing number of actors support peacebuilding defined in order to maximise its processes on the African continent, but, despite all their efforts, responses do not impact in this area. always achieve the desired results. The various peacebuilding actors and processes provide a complex and interlinked array of responses that may complement, parallel There is an increased AU and even compete with each other. interest in the Central African 3 In this context, an important case study is the Central African Republic (CAR). The Republic (CAR), which could country has been through various phases of conflict and has undergone some provide further opportunities for peacebuilding processes. However, continuous outbreaks of violence have forced linking with other AU-led initiatives. external interveners to rethink their engagements and adopt more peacebuilding- There are opportunities to specific tasks. The fractured peacebuilding process in the CAR shows that it 4 strengthen coordination desperately needs long-term rather than just short-term responses for peace to between the AU in CAR and the be sustained. AU Commission. During 2016, with the election of a new government, the CAR has an opportunity The AU and other to effectively implement long-term strategies to improve the country’s resilience 5 international organisations, to conflict. A number of actors are already engaged in supporting the country’s including the United Nations, processes, but moving forward will require cohesive and harmonised strategies. One can enhance coordination on how of these actors is the African Union (AU), which has been engaged in the country to best to support peacebuilding since December 2013, initially through the International Support Mission to the CAR in CAR. (MISCA). MISCA was subsequently taken over by the United Nations (UN). The AU has retained a political office in the country – the AU Mission for Central Africa and the CAR POLICY BRIEF (MISAC) – and now wishes to adopt a more prominent role in the country’s post-conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding initiatives. This policy brief is part of a series of policy briefs and papers from the Institute for Security Studies’ (ISS) Training for Peace Programme (TfP) that reflects on peacebuilding processes in Africa. The series provides and gathers lessons, knowledge and evidence on the planning and implementation of these peacebuilding processes. This policy brief is based on field research conducted from 13–19 September 2015 in Bangui with 19 stakeholders. It focuses in particular on ways in which the AU can further enhance its peacebuilding role in the CAR. Current context The CAR’s history is marked by several conflict cycles and disrupted peacebuilding processes. There are several reasons for the conflict, including poor governance, unequal access to resources and basic services, and disconnected political systems that fail to serve the needs of the majority of the country’s population. The country was plunged back into violence when the Séléka rebel coalition launched a series of attacks on the government in December 2012. Despite the signing of the Libreville peace agreement in January 2013, the rebels ousted President Francois Bozizé two months later. While religion has certainly played role in the conflict in the CAR, it is important to note that it is not the only dimension of the conflict When the Séléka took power in March 2013, Michel Djotodia was named president. He struggled to control elements of the different armed groups that made up his coalition. This resulted in a considerable breakdown in law and order, perpetrated mostly by Séléka members. With the Séléka being a Muslim-dominated coalition, negative sentiments brewed against Muslims in the CAR, leading to the creation of the self-defence militia anti-balaka. In December 2013, anti-balaka activities intensified against Djotodia and the Séléka, leading to the resignation of the president in January 2014. The resignation of Djotodia paved the way for an interim government headed by the former mayor of Bangui, Catherine Samba-Panza. However, over the past three years the CAR has continued to be plagued by violent conflict. For example, on 26 September 2015 the killing of a man in Bangui led to a series of violent acts in the capital, allegedly along religious lines.1 The conflict between the Muslim-dominated Séléka and the Christian-dominated anti-balaka, amid accusations of human rights abuses from both sides, highlights the fragile state of peace in the country. While religion has certainly played role in the conflict in the CAR, it is important to note that it is not the only dimension of the conflict. Analysts state that the violence is 20 May 2014 about more than religion, and came about due to ‘a lack of political stability and the 2 THE Plan d’urgence, absence of credible state institutions in the CAR’. In this context, the conflict in the A PLAN OF NATIONAL CAR is characterised by a complex situation where the government has little capacity RECONCILIATION AND SOCIAL to govern the majority of the country – its presence is largely confined to Bangui – COHESION, IS LAUNCHED creating a vacuum that has allowed competing groups to emerge and eventually forge an anti-government alliance. 2 FRACTURED PEACEBUILDING IN THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: LESSONS FOR AFRICAN UNION ENGAGEMENT Following the second round of elections in 2016, Faustin- and social development. The forum was intended to be an Archange Touadéra was elected as the new president of the inclusive process that would lead to national reconciliation in the country. While largely considered peaceful, the election process country – a critical step. The aims of the forum were to define a has shown how fractured the peace process is in the CAR. For comprehensive agreement, highlighting the need for a roadmap, example, after the first round of voting a protest march was and identify the drivers of conflict and peace. All of the common held in Bangui demanding a rerun of the presidential vote. The pillars in peacebuilding processes were expected to provide a CAR has a long way to go, with the government still attempting way forward for planning and determining priorities. to extend its authority to the majority of the country. Yet these developments also open a space for implementing a new phase of short- and long-term peacebuilding responses. The Bangui National Forum identified several responses that the country Current peacebuilding processes in the CAR should take Since 2014 there have been a number of attempts to identify priorities and define plans of action to support the country’s peacebuilding processes. The plans, while providing an The priorities of the Plan d’urgence and the New Deal are opportunity for the country to identify better ways of sustaining similar to those of the Bangui Forum, especially its five major recommendations. The first major recommendation of the Bangui peace, also highlight some of the critical challenges in ensuring Forum pertains to the development of principles for engagement the coherent and continued implementation of such policies. in disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR), which The Ministry of Communication and Reconciliation launched many interviewees called a pre-DDR process that involves the the Plan d’urgence, a plan of national reconciliation and social provision of cash for work, sensitisation, and some aspects of cohesion, on 20 May 2014. The plan has four main pillars: 1) the disarmament itself. The second relates to the release of child urgent dissemination of political messages on security, impunity, soldiers, and the third to timelines for elections, which were peace and reconciliation; 2) the continuation and intensification not met. Fourth, it addresses the need for processes for justice of dialogue with armed groups and their supporters; 3) the and reconciliation, including a national truth and reconciliation transformation of intergroup dynamics in priority areas; and commission and local peace and reconciliation committees.5 4) direct dialogue with displaced populations, refugees and Finally, it deals with social and economic concerns, emphasising foreigners.3 This plan shows that political dialogue and conflict governance priorities and reducing poverty and inequality. In transformation are seen as essential immediate priorities that will particular, the forum highlights issues in the mining and agricultural enable the country to achieve sustainable peace. sectors as being key to economic and social development. The Plan d’urgence provides for the immediate needs of the Role of key external actors supporting country and has been complemented by other, longer-term peacebuilding in the CAR planning frameworks. The CAR has been engaging with the New Deal for Engagement in Fragile States (the New Deal) since its Since the early 2000s various external actors have engaged inception and has been one of the pilot countries among g7+ unevenly in the CAR, supporting political processes aimed at members.4 As part of this process, the CAR Ministry of National enabling peace. This led to the country’s being characterised by 6 Planning, along with international organisations such as the UN many as a forgotten crisis.