The Central African Republic (CAR) has recently made a rare appearance in the international headlines as it is on the brink of collapse.  Often overshadowed by the humanitarian crises that exist in the neighboring states of Sudan and Chad, the CAR has been plagued by turmoil and instability for many years.  Now, with a sharp rise in violence and lawlessness and no internal or external force with any power to quell it, the country is on the threshold of a major crisis.

The Central African Republic is a nation of just over 4 million people.  Landlocked and relatively isolated, the CAR shares borders with several troubled states including Chad, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  Despite having an abundant supply of diamonds and timber, the CAR is one of the poorest countries in the world and remains extremely unstable with eleven attempted coups in the past ten years [1].  Security and stability have been problematic since military mutinies in 1996, triggered by the armed forces’ grievances over unpaid salary arrears. The ensuing internal conflict led to regional and subsequently UN peacekeeping intervention [2].  Recently, instability and violence are nearing a climax and any hope of peaceful resolution is becoming increasingly unlikely.

The situation in the Central African Republic is complicated and involves a variety of tribulations including rebel groups, bandits, government instability, and some spillover from Chad and Sudan's conflict-ridden western Darfur region.  Furthermore, the CAR is so unsafe that there is not much concrete data on exactly how many people are displaced or how malnourished children are [3].  Having just returned from the region, Godfrey Byaruhanga, a researcher for Amnesty International, stated: "Law and order in the Central African Republic is heading rapidly towards the brink of collapse.  The government's authority is already effectively confined to the capital, Bangui, where also insecurity, corruption and impunity reign.” [4]

The worst of the CAR’s turmoil exists in the northern regions which have become a free-for-all hunting ground for the region’s various armed opposition forces, government troops, and even armed bandits - some of whom have come from as far away as West Africa to kidnap and loot local villages.  It is estimated that over 280,000 people have been displaced from the region in the past two years of fighting alone [5].  Innocent civilians have found themselves trapped by violence. The CAR armed opposition forces kill civilians who do not support or refuse to join them.  Meanwhile, the government troops kill civilians they accuse of colluding with the armed groups [6].  The civilians who are lucky enough to escape these regimes find themselves not only as refugees, but under the constant fear of being attacked, looted and kidnapped by bandits.  According to refugee interviews by Amnesty International, these bandits known as Zaraguines or ‘coupeurs de routes,’ have captured and ransomed numerous children for as much as two million CFA (US$4,000) [7].

Despite this sharp rise in violence and the all-too-real possibility of the nation’s collapse, the international community has done very little to aid or bring to light the CAR’s precarious situation.

The IIJD calls for international attention regarding the alarming situation in the Central African Republic.  It is evident that the international community has not thus far taken the situation seriously.  Therefore, we believe that an immediate deployment of a multi-dimensional UN force is needed in order to protect civilians in the country.  In addition to the much needed UN presence, the government of the CAR must make an immediate start to recovery by ordering its forces not to attack civilians. The CAR government must immediately investigate and bring to justice - in trials which meet international standards of fairness - its soldiers and other law enforcement agents accused of committing violations of human rights and humanitarian law.

In a situation as desperate as the one in the Central African Republic, the IIJD believes that stability can only be reached if a combined UN and national government effort are enacted.  It is essential that a just and accountable government ensures the protection of its citizens and establishes an affirmative dominance of power in the country.  Only after these goals are reached will the citizens of the CAR be provided with the basic rights and liberties they need to establish their lives at present and ensure a secure future.