SC/10860
Security Council
6891st Meeting (PM)
While the overall peace and security situation in Central Africa had remained stable, amid significant progress in economic growth and declining activity by armed groups, violence by militias continued to spill across borders, as devastating attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) continued to pose grave challenges, the top United Nations official in the region told the Security Council during a briefing today.
Abou Moussa, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), said that despite the clear disparity between increasing and competing mandate priorities on the one hand, and the resources available on the other, the Office continued strenuously to cope with that predicament by trying to do more with less. With that in mind, UNOCA would place a premium on building upon and consolidating achievements made this year, including the increased confidence placed in United Nations conflict-prevention efforts by Governments, regional organizations, political leaders and civil society, which acknowledged that the creation of UNOCA had filled a “preventive diplomacy” gap.
With strong support and commitment from top political leaders, UNOCA continued to coordinate the implementation of a regional strategy to address the LRA threat. Yet, challenges persisted in that area, as well, with the most urgent revolving around the need promptly to finalize the strategy’s programmatic document and mobilize sufficient resources for its full implementation. Once that document was finalized, UNOCA planned to organize a resource mobilization forum early next year, he said.
Following Mr. Moussa’s briefing, Council members applauded UNOCA’s diplomatic work and the progress achieved in the region, while all expressed concern about the LRA’s decades-long threat to stability in the region, as well ass support for coordinated regional responses alongside adequate resources to get the job done. Many speakers emphasized the need to move forward with a concerted strategy to crush the LRA, with some suggesting approaches to do so.
Togo’s representative said that while the progress achieved in peacebuilding was encouraging, the security and humanitarian situations in the region, particularly in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, threatened the stability of that country and the wider region. Only a negotiated settlement would alleviate the plight of civilians, he emphasized. As for the LRA, it retained an ability to cause grave harm, with women and children the primary victims. Urging all States to cooperate in apprehending the group’s leaders, he said the international community must step up its efforts to support the regional strategy to tackle the LRA.
South Africa’s representative expressed concern over the proliferation of weapons in the region. Concerned also about the brutality of LRA activities, he said the Council should deal with the group as a terrorist organization, since the African Union had designated it as such. Military action against the LRA should minimize civilian casualties, in compliance with applicable international law and as part of a broader strategy, including policies for facilitating defections and amnesty, and for apprehending commanders indicted by the International Criminal Court.
Other speakers agreed that more must be done to arrest LRA leaders and address humanitarian concerns. The representative of the United States emphasized that more must be done to protect civilians, improve intelligence and increase humanitarian access. The success of the regional strategy’s implementation must be seen on the ground, he said, suggesting that the creation of community-based protection plans, and the designation of focal points within peacekeeping operations in the region, could help.
The United Kingdom’s representative said that while the LRA remained a murderous band of criminals, an end to its crimes was in sight. However, that could only be achieved through a sustained focus and strengthened security in the affected countries, which, with the United Nations system, must create an implementation plan to put all pillars of the regional strategy in place, he said, calling for a high-level meeting to discuss the implementation of African Union plans for that purpose.
Portugal’s representative condemned the LRA’s human rights abuses, particularly those against women and children, calling for an immediate end to such crimes. To that end, Portugal welcomed the United Nations regional strategy, and encouraged the Secretariat to help draw up a sequenced implementation plan.
Colombia’s representative called for a clear balance between disarmament, demobilization and reintegration on the one hand, and improved social and economic conditions in the affected regions, on the other.
Also speaking today were representatives of China, India, Azerbaijan, Guatemala, France, Germany, Russian Federation, Pakistan and Morocco.
The meeting began at 3:10 p.m. and ended at 5:05 p.m.
Background
The Security Council had before it the report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa and on areas affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army (document S/2012/923). Dated 13 December 2012, it assesses the major political trends in the subregion, while providing updates on progress made in implementing the mandate of the Office, and on efforts to counter the threat and impact of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), including the United Nations regional strategy, since the Secretary-General’s report of 11 June 2012.
In the report, the Secretary-General welcomes electoral reform, regional efforts to counter cross-border challenges and continuing robust economic growth rates, but stresses, however, the need to translate them into tangible benefits for the majority of the subregion’s people. He expresses grave concern over the high rate of youth unemployment, violence against women and threats to the security of United Nations staff members.
A priority for the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) in addressing such challenges is strengthening the capacity and cooperation of regional organizations, the report says, noting efforts to establish partnerships with the Confederation of African Football, the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region. Coordination with the West African region on piracy in the Gulf of Guinea is particularly important.
On the LRA, the report says the Secretary-General is encouraged by progress in tackling the threat posed by the group and its impact since the adoption of the United Nations regional strategy, in light of various structures for collective intervention now in place. However, the LRA continues to terrorize remote border areas, the report states, adding that it is presumed to have carried out 180 attacks since the beginning of 2012, including 42 in the Central African Republic and 138 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to reports by humanitarian partners. The attacks resulted in a total of 39 civilian deaths, the report says, noting that a total of 193 persons have been abducted, one third of them children. The Secretary-General encourages the affected countries, with assistance from the international community, to provide the support necessary for the full deployment of the Regional Task Force in order to counter the threat.
Briefing
ABOU MOUSSA, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Central Africa and Head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa, introduced the Secretary-General’s third situation report, outlining the Office’s work in bolstering cooperation and coordination with regional organizations and States. Subregional integrations were a critical element for sustainable peace and security, he said, which explained why UNOCA continued to work closely with member States of ECCAS and other entities. While the overall peace and security situation remained stable, he said, the region continued to face challenges, including violence by armed groups, especially in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and countries affected by LRA violence, and regional and cross-border consequences.
On a positive note, he continued, the report included good news on Central Africa’s economic growth and the increased confidence placed in United Nations conflict-prevention efforts by Governments, regional organizations, political leaders and civil society. They had acknowledged that the creation of UNOCA had filled a “preventive diplomacy” gap, he said, adding that some of the requests it had received during the reporting period were for mediation, capacity-building support, mobilizing international resources and support for actions in the subregion, and facilitating workshops, seminars and training.
In addition, top political leaders had shown strong determination and commitment to supporting and facilitating UNOCA, he said. As it continued to coordinate the implementation of a regional strategy to address the LRA threat, the Office faced many challenges, the most urgent revolving around the need promptly to finalize the programmatic document and mobilize sufficient resources for its full implementation. Once that was done, UNOCA planned to organize a resource mobilization forum early next year, he said.
He went on to note that regional leaders had demonstrated their political commitment in their ongoing efforts to organize a summit on piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea, pursuant to Security Council resolution 2039 (2012). In addition, President Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo had on 7 December, in Brazzaville, chaired celebrations marking the twentieth anniversary of the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa, he recalled.
Yet, critical challenges continued to hamper the effectiveness of combined efforts, he said. Among them was a clear disparity between UNOCA’S increasing and competing mandate priorities and the available resources. The Office was endeavouring to cope with that predicament by strenuously trying to do more with less, as recommended by the Secretary-General, he said, emphasizing that UNOCA would place a premium on building upon and consolidating achievements made this year. It would also continue to focus on developing and finalizing a regional strategy to combat terrorism and the proliferation of arms, pursuant to the Bangui Declaration adopted by the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa.