Statement by Ambassador Archie Young, UK Deputy Permanent
Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on
Central Africa and UNOCA.
"The United Kingdom remains steadfastly committed in our support
for the work of UNOCA and its good offices. UNOCA's role in early
warning, preventive diplomacy, and regional coordination is
critical.
Today, I will make three points focused on the situations in
Gabon, Cameroon and the impact of the Sudan conflict on peace and
security in the region. I will not address today the very
concerning situation in DRC, recognising that the Council will be
considering the DRC specifically in our meeting tomorrow.
First, the United Kingdom welcomes the completion in November of
local, legislative and senatorial elections in Gabon. This is an
important step, building on April's presidential elections, which
complete Gabon's political transition.
We encourage Gabon to continue building on the progress made by
implementing necessary governance and electoral reforms
to consolidate its democratic institutions.
Second, the United Kingdom is concerned at continued violence and
insecurity in Cameroon, including the recent post-election
violence that saw loss of life. Conflict in the North-West and
South-West regions continues to impact civilians. We welcome
UNOCA's efforts to promote dialogue. We urge continued engagement
towards a peaceful resolution to the Anglophone crisis and call
for a Cameroonian led dialogue.
We also underscore the importance of regional cooperation to
tackle Boko Haram and ISWAP threats in the Lake Chad Basin,
including through the Multinational Joint Task Force. This is
critical to support communities in Cameroon's Far North region.
Third, in addition to the dire impact on Sudanese civilians, the
ongoing conflict in Sudan continues to destabilise the region,
driving significant displacement of the local population and
grave humanitarian needs. The UK commends the authorities in Chad
for their efforts in hosting large numbers of refugees.
We encourage continued international coordination to support
civilians in the region and to press for an end to the conflict.
The United Kingdom remains committed to supporting the UN's
humanitarian response including through the £125 million the
United Kingdom has contributed to humanitarian support in Sudan
this year."
