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Situation of human rights in the Central African Republic: Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (A/HRC/24/59)

Attachments

Human Rights Council
Twenty-fourth session
Agenda items 2 and 10
Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the
High Commissioner and the Secretary-General
Technical assistance and capacity-building

Summary

In its resolution 23/18, the Human Rights Council requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to submit to the Council, at its twenty-fourth session, an interim report on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic. In response to that request, the High Commissioner deployed, from 20 June to 11 July 2013, a fact-finding mission to the Central African Republic to collect information on human rights violations committed in Bangui and other localities between December 2012 and 11 July 2013.

The fact-finding mission collected credible, reliable and corroborated information from victims, their families, witnesses, as well as various reliable sources in Bangui and several localities in Lobaye, Kémo, Ombella M’Poko and Nana-Gribizi prefectures where human rights violations had been reported. The mission faced considerable challenges and limitations owing not only to the constraints imposed by security requirements and logistics but also to the reluctance of victims and witnesses to testify due to their fear of reprisals, and was sometimes only able to obtain estimates on the number of violations reported.

The mission examined allegations of violations of international human rights and humanitarian law committed by the former Bozizé regime and the non-State armed group, the Séléka coalition, during the armed conflict from 10 December 2012 to 23 March 2013. It also reviewed allegations of human rights violations committed after the Séléka seized power on 24 March 2013.

The mission concluded that, during the conflict, both parties had engaged in summary executions and extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture and looting of private and public property. The Séléka also engaged in sexual violence and grave violations against children. On the basis of the information collected by the mission, those acts constitute gross human rights violations and may amount to war crimes.

After 24 March 2013, gross violations of international human rights law, such as summary executions, sexual violence, recruitment of children and looting of property, including hospitals, schools and churches, committed by the Séléka continued unabated.

On the basis of the findings of the mission and on the current situation in the Central African Republic, the High Commissioner is gravely concerned at the gravity and intensity of human rights violations in the country and at the persistent and prevailing legal and security vacuum in which these crimes are committed. The High Commissioner addresses recommendations to the transitional government, the international community and the Human Rights Council to resolve the crisis, address insecurity, protect human rights, fight impunity and promote national reconciliation.