The key facts

  • The UN Security Council unanimously extended the MINUSCA mandate until November 15, 2027
  • The mission has operated in the Central African Republic since 2014; violence continues despite the 2019 peace agreement
  • The UN warns against a premature withdrawal of peacekeepers

Unanimous extension of the mandate

The UN Security Council on Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution extending the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) for another year — until November 15, 2027. The Anadolu agency reported this.

Context: why the mission cannot be wound down

MINUSCA was established in 2014 to address the crisis in the security, humanitarian, human rights and political spheres in the Central African Republic, as well as its regional implications. The country has remained unstable since the 2013 coup, which triggered an armed conflict, mass displacement of the population and a protracted humanitarian crisis. Despite the 2019 peace agreement between the government and 14 armed groups, violence continues in a number of areas.

Tensions on the borders and the UN position

A separate factor of instability has been the situation on the northeastern borders of the Central African Republic with Sudan and Chad, where tensions have intensified due to the spillover of the war in Sudan. In June, armed groups seized the border town of Am Dafok: thousands of people were forced to leave their homes, and six MINUSCA peacekeepers were injured in an attack on a UN base. Against this backdrop, the UN warned against a premature withdrawal of peacekeepers, stressing that the transfer of security functions to national authorities must be gradual and based on the actual situation on the ground.