Statement by Ambassador James Roscoe at the Security
Council briefing on the United Nations Regional Office for
Central Africa
I want to begin by expressing our heartfelt thanks to SRSG Fall
for his insightful briefing today and more significantly, for his
continued efforts to support and promote peace, stability and
security in Central Africa.
Mr President, your modesty will not appreciate this but I want to
join him in his tribute to your in your own leadership, in your
work on this Council and on these issues in this region.
In terms of the work of the office itself, we welcome in
particular the collaboration between UNOCA and the recently
established ECCAS Commission. I know that has been incredibly
constructive for you SRSG Fall in the recent period. We are also
very encouraged by the links between your office, UNOWAS and
other major UN offices in the region.
As you have set out today SRSG Fall , Central Africa continues to
face serious political, economic, humanitarian and security
challenges.
It remains important that the countries of the region work
together, and with the support of the UN, to strengthen regional
peace and security, protect civilians in conflict, and promote
human rights and resilient economic recovery.
In this regard, I commend UNOCA’s ongoing work on conflict
prevention and particularly, your mediation efforts across
Central Africa. Your work to highlight and support inclusive and
meaningful dialogue in countries preparing for elections is
particularly welcome, SRSG.
We welcome and encourage even greater coordination between UNOCA
and UN country teams in the sub-region. I know that you are doing
this and you are working to convene them but we think a
particular focus on delivery of agreed plans and strategies could
be incredibly helpful.
Mr President, turning to individual countries in the region, as
the SRSG has just done, the United Kingdom would like to
reiterate its support to Chad as it undergoes its transition to a
civilian and constitutional rule.
The UK welcomes the positive steps towards this transition,
including the appointment of a largely civilian cabinet and
ongoing talks with armed opposition groups.
We encourage the government of Chad to continue to lead an
inclusive process to facilitate a peaceful and successful
political transition.
Mr President, the United Kingdom remains deeply concerned by the
ongoing crisis and continued human rights violations in the
North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon.
The impacts on civilians there continue to be profound.
The conflict in this region has driven around 650,000 people from
their homes and forced almost 70,000 people to seek refuge in
neighbouring Nigeria.
The continued closure of two thirds of schools, now for a fifth
year, means 700,000 children are not receiving an education and
we know what that means in terms of a driver of conflict.
The UK has allocated a further US$6m of humanitarian aid to
Cameroon this year.
This funding will provide vital assistance, including food,
medical supplies and sanitation provisions. What Cameroon
desperately needs is the dialogue the SRSG has just spoken about
and we hope you will do all you can to encourage that dialogue as
we will.
Mr President, the United Kingdom also strongly condemns the
terrorist attacks on civilians in Cameroon’s Far North, and
across the wider Lake Chad Basin area.
We welcome the efforts of the Multi-National Joint Task Force to
tackle Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa in the region. We
have also just heard how complex that situation is and we need to
continue to focus on that.
The UK Government continues to support regional stabilisation
efforts through our support to the regional stabilisation
facility, working with international partners and regional
governments.
Turning to Burundi, we welcome the efforts by the Government to
re-engage with the international community and demonstrate a
greater commitment to human rights.
To this end we continue to urge the Government of Burundi to
engage with the UN human rights monitoring mechanisms, including
the new Special Rapporteur for human rights, and to ensure that
the needs and rights of refugees, other displaced people and host
communities are recognised.
Mr President, the UK remains concerned about the ongoing violence
in the Central African Republic, which continues to take a
distressing toll on the civilian population, compounding an
already acute humanitarian situation.
We commend President Touadera for his call for a unilateral
ceasefire, and continue to underline the importance of an
inclusive peace-building process.
We regret to hear further reports that the Russian private
military company Wagner continues to commit human rights abuses
in the Central African Republic.
The Wagner Group drive conflict and capitalise on instability for
their own interests.
They do not offer long-term security answers in the Central
African Republic or elsewhere in Africa, and undermine the work
of international peacekeepers.
Mr President, if I may conclude by thanking SRSG Fall. We
recognise the huge challenges across the region. We are grateful
to you for your energetic and personal commitment to help guide
the efforts of peace and stability in the region. We are
fortunate to have you Sir.
