Central African Region - Security Council Briefing

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Published Jun 22, 2024

Briefing by Abdou Abarry, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Central Africa and Head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), on the Central African Region, during the Security Council, 9648th meeting.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) Abdou Abarry, today (10 Jun) told the Security Council that despite positive developments, armed groups and violent extremists “continue to threaten the stability and development of the countries of the subregion."

Abarry told the Council that in the period covered by report of the Secretary-General was marked by the conclusion of the transition in Chad, with the adoption of a new constitution by referendum in December 2023 and the holding of the presidential election on 6 May.

According to several observers, he said, “the election took place in good conditions, despite a few isolated incidents, of course regrettable, but which did not compromise either the regularity or the credibility of the election.”

In Gabon, Abarry said, “the transition reached an important turning point with the holding of an inclusive national dialogue that resulted in a series of recommendations reflecting the aspirations of the Gabonese people for a renewal.”

At the end of this dialogue, he said, “the Gabonese authorities have undertaken concrete actions for a return to constitutional order, with the creation of a National Constitutional Committee to draft a draft constitution and a draft electoral code.”

In São Tomé and Príncipe, the Special Representative continued, “significant progress has been made in reforming the justice and security sectors with the agreement signed between the authorities and the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC).”

This agreement, he said, “is the culmination of our support to the Government of San Tomé in its efforts to reform the justice and security sectors, since the regrettable events of November 2022, and which follows the recommendations of the joint assessment mission conducted by the UN and ECCAS in April 2023, signed on the occasion of the visit of the Chairman of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) to Sao Tome last May.”

Nevertheless, Abarry stressed that “whether in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo or in the Lake Chad Basin, terrorist groups have continued to sow terror among the civilian population, especially women and children, despite the presence of military forces in these regions.”