Council conclusions on the Central African Republic

The EU acknowledges the role played in the stabilisation of the CAR by all the international troops on the ground, the MINUSCA peacekeepers and the French troops involved in Operation Sangaris. The work begun by EUMAM RCA should help launch security sector reform, which is crucial for the country's recovery. This work must be continued, in coordination with other actions by the international community.

The preparations for elections have progressed in the last few weeks. The EU welcomes the publication of the revised election timetable and the first voter registration operations. The EU encourages the Central African authorities to take further action in this priority area, to allow for the organisation on the agreed dates of credible, transparent and inclusive elections for all, including displaced populations and refugees in neighbouring countries, focusing in particular on women. The Bangui Forum has created a drive towards inclusiveness which must be maintained. The EU is providing substantial financial support for the electoral process. In order not to undermine this process, and given that funding is still insufficient, the EU calls for costs to be rigorously controlled and for all potential donors to be mobilised. In addition to its financial support, the EU reiterates its continued readiness to support the electoral process, including in the field of election observation.

The Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) process must quickly generate a controlled drive towards disarmament further to the agreement signed on 10 May 2015 by a large number of the armed groups. The EU will work with MINUSCA, which is supporting the Central African authorities in this field, including through measures to promote voluntary disarmament. With this in mind, the EU stresses that it already supports several community integration and reconciliation projects funded by the European Development Fund (EDF) and the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace (IcSP), as well as the actions supported by the Bêkou Trust Fund to create jobs for young Central Africans. The EU welcomes the agreement signed between the transitional authorities, the UN and the armed groups regarding the demobilisation of children from the armed groups. It calls for full implementation of this agreement. It is important that UNICEF - supported by the EU - should help to promote the reintegration of these children into society.

In the wake of the DDR process, progress is urgently needed on security sector reform conducted under the auspices of MINUSCA in cooperation with Operation Sangaris and the CSDP mission EUMAM RCA, which must cover all relevant areas, including the whole of the criminal justice chain. The EU believes that the role of the armed forces (FACA), their location, size, composition and weaponry, including the individual reintegration of former combatants into the uniformed services, will have to be precisely defined after the elections and will have to form part of the SSR process, which must start now.

The EU remains concerned about the difficult budgetary situation of the Central African state. Through its budgetary support, the EU contributes significantly to the CAR's functioning, and hopes the economic upturn will continue, in order to enable the CAR to meet its basic needs. The economic recovery, which may become reality thanks in part to the considerable natural resources the CAR has at its disposal, requires, in addition to improved security and political stability, better management of state finances.

The EU stresses, as it did at the Bangui Forum, that there can be no reconciliation without justice. The adoption and enactment of the law establishing the Special Criminal Court constitutes an important step in the fight against impunity. It must start its work without delay and ensure the CAR participates fully in its operation, given how high public expectations are in this area. The Central African authorities' cooperation with the United Nations human rights mechanisms, as well as with the International Criminal Court, must also continue.

In solidarity with the people of the Central African Republic, the EU intends to pursue its humanitarian efforts, both inside the CAR and in neighbouring countries which have taken in very large numbers of Central African refugees. Humanitarian needs remain vast. Despite an improvement in the security situation, access to the populations in need inside the country remains highly problematic. In this transition phase, it is essential to ensure that the international community is committed to working alongside the CAR to continue to address the humanitarian crisis with a comprehensive strategy in support of displaced populations, including in the neighbouring countries and taking into account the impact on the host communities. At the same time the EU reiterates its commitment to strengthening the population's resilience to the impact of the crisis, in particular through the implementation of the Bêkou Trust Fund, launched by the EU, which brings together the contributions of several donors. The EU is also committed in the longer term to addressing the need for capacity building and for the restoration of the state's essential functions throughout the country, building on its social services.