Feature: CAR congratulated for adopting republican pact

The Bangui National Reconciliation Forum ended with landmark resolutions for the future of the Central African.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations Organisation (UNO), Ban Ki-moon has congratulated the people of the Central African Republic for adopting a republican pact at the end of the Bangui National Reconciliation Forum of May 4 to 11, 2015.

In a release published by Centrafrique Presse.com, Ban Ki-moon said the recommendations of the forum reflected the aspirations of the citizens to once and for all put conflict behind them and to build a more peaceful and democratic country.

The UN Secretary-General’s statement was a tacit recognition of the main far reaching resolutions taken during the forum intended to get the country out of the two-year conflict to peace, stability, national cohesion and prosperity.

-Transition Period The forum participants resolved to extend the period of the transitional government led by Catherine Samba-Panza. This resolution just as others was read out during the closing plenary session at the hemicycle of the National Transition Council which is the transition Parliament in the presence of Transition President Catherine Samba-Panza, Prime Minister Mahamat Kamoun and transition parliament President Alexandre Ferdinand Nguendet.

The transition period has to be crowned with organization of elections. It was therefore decided that the transition authorities forward the proposal of the extension of their mandate to the Conference of the Heads of State of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) for endorsement.

-Holding of Elections It was also resolved that legislative and presidential elections that had to hold on June and July 2015 respectively have to be postponed. Delegates after listening to the report on the electoral process presented by the National Elections Authority (ANE) recommended that a new electoral calendar be put in place based on consultations between the ANE, government, as well as regional and international mediators.

ANE officials raised the problems of logistics as the initially programmed period is in the rainy season, pockets of insecurity and the fact that only a quarter of the required budget was already available. Transition President Catherine Samba-Panza made it clear that the elections have to hold latest the end of 2015.

-Disarming of Rebel Groups The forum delegates endorsed the peace agreement signed by government and 10 armed groups. The armed groups in a release after the peace deal said, “The fighters of all the armed groups accept and commit to putting a definitive end to the armed conflicts in Central African Republic.

They are committed to disposing their arms and renouncing armed fighting as a means of making political claims and to enter into the process of Disarmament, Demobilisation, Reinsertion and Repatriation (DDRR)."

The groups would have to assemble their fighters on different sites. The fighters could subsequently be integrated into the national army, Gendarmerie, Police and Forestry guards, as well as benefit from income-generating programmes. The criteria for the integration process were not detailed, just as the size of the national army. It was also resolved that foreign fighters notably Chadians and Sudanese have to be repatriated.

-Justice and Reconciliation At the close of the Bangui Forum, delegates resolved that institutions in charge of justice, peace and reconciliation be created. The Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission has to be the supra body, while local peace and reconciliation bodies also have to be created.

The delegates equally recommended the creation of a Commission of Inquiry on Cross-border Crimes, especially those committed by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).

Other resolutions concern the country’s future Constitution which has to stress on the secular nature of the State, grassroots consultations on major societal issues and the creation of a high good governance authority.