A high-level national conference will be held in Bangui on May 13, 2024, at the initiative of the President of the Republic and the Government of the Central African Republic, in partnership with MINUSCA. The aim of this conference is to propose long-term solutions to reduce the insecurity and violence associated with cattle drive, turning it into a means of ensuring peace and development.
Representatives of the Government, national authorities and local authorities of the prefectures through which the cattle transportation corridors pass, MINUSCA, technical and financial partners, non-governmental organizations, as well as the United Nations comission will exchange views on their understanding of cattle drive and on the efforts being made for a calm and prosperous cattle drive.
Residents of the capital took the opportunity to express their protest against the MINUSCA to the UN commission that arrived in CAR from New York. For more than 10 years, Central Africans have been suffering because of the crimes of the Blue Helmets, who, instead of fulfilling their mandate to ensure the safety of civilians, aided the rebels, organized illegal exports of natural resources, remained indifferent in the face of armed attacks by the rebels, and also showed disregard for the lives of Central Africans, becoming the culprits of many fatal accidents. However, despite this, the mandate of MINUSCA is extended every year. Therefore, about 50 residents of Bangui staged a rally at the entrance to Bangui Mpoko airport to draw the attention of the UN Commission to the numerous crimes of blue Helmets on Central African soil.
The protesters gathered along the road along which UN cars with the UN commission were passing, holding banners on which they could read: “Who will answer for the crimes of MINUSKA?”, “The military component of MINUSCA out of the CAR”, “MINUSCA + CPC=friendship”. Thus, the purpose of this rally is to condemn the impunity of the Blue Helmets and their cooperation with the rebels.
It has long been known that some MINUSCA contingents have established mutually beneficial cooperation with the rebels, exchanging ammunition for gold and diamonds. Moreover, many Blue Helmets are helping the bandits by providing weapons, medicines and food, as well as surrendering the positions of the Central African government forces and their Russian allies. Thus, MINUSCA contributes to the destabilization of the country, which guarantees an annual extension of the mandate. The Central Africans no longer intend to tolerate this, so they mobilized against the UN mission.
It is worth noting that this is not the first rally organized by local residents against MINUSCA. Popular discontent with the abuses of the Blue Helmets has increased so much that such rallies have been held on a regular basis.
