MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the Central African Republic
17.1.2017 - (2017/2507(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure
Bodil Valero, Judith Sargentini, Maria Heubuch, Heidi Hautala, Florent Marcellesi, Michèle Rivasi, Barbara Lochbihler, Bart Staes, Ernest Urtasun, Igor Šoltes, Davor Škrlec, Bronis Ropė on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
The European Parliament,
-having regard to its previous resolutions on the Central African Republic,
-having regard to the joint ACP-EU Parliamentary Assembly resolution on the Central African Republic from 17 June 2015,
-having regard to the Libreville Agreements of 11 January 2013,the N'Djamena Declaration of 18 April 2013, the Constitutional Charter for the Transition of 18 July 2013 as well as the Cessation of Hostilities agreement signed in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, on 23 July 2014,
-having regard to the establishment of an International Contact Group on the CAR in May 2013 to coordinate regional, continent-wide and international action in order to find a lasting solution to the country’s recurrent problems,
-having regard to the revised Partnership Agreement between the members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States and the European Community signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000 (the Cotonou Agreement),
-having regard to the EU Council conclusions on the Central African Republic of 9 February 2015, 20 June 2015, 17 November 2015 and 14 March 2016,
-having regard to the report (S/2014/928) of the International Commission of Inquiry to investigate international human rights and humanitarian laws violation and abuses in the Central African Republic,
-having regard to the UN Secretary General's reports of 1 April 2016 on the situation in the Central African Republic,
-having regard to the UN Security Council resolutions 2127 (2013), 2134 (2014), 2217 (2015) and 2264, 2301 and 2272 (2016)
-having regard to the statements by the European External Action Service on the Central African Republic, notably on 6 January 2017 and 30 November 2016,
-having regard to the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), ratified by the Central African Republic in 2001,
-having regard to the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which has been signed by the Central African Republic,
-having regard to the Universal declaration on Human Rights,
-having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
-having regard to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights,
-having regard to Rule 135 of its Rules of Procedure,
A.Whereas the Central African Republic has faced chronic instability, rebellions, coups and upsurges of violence for decades,
B.Whereas widespread poverty, strong economic disparities, weak and often inexistent state structures are the main reasons for the Central African Republic's chronic instability,
C.Whereas the 2013 coup and the subsequent ousting of power of the Transitional Head of State, Michel Djotodia, and of the Transitional Prime Minister, Nicolas Tiangaye was accompanied by massive and severe human rights violations with a clear risk of genocide including extrajudicial killings, torture, looting, large scale rapes and sexual abuses, abduction of women and children and forced recruitment of child soldiers,
D.Whereas little effective action to halt abuses, bring the perpetrators to justice and to promote reconciliation has been taken by Central African authorities, whereas this constitutes a major impediment to peace and stability,
E.Whereas the Central African Republic achieved significant milestones in its political transition, most notably the peaceful and successful holding of a constitutional referendum on 13 December 2015 and legislative and presidential elections in December 2015, February and March 2016,
F.Whereas some 2.5 million people in the Central African Republic – over half of the population – are in dire need of immediate assistance, while 900,000 people have been displaced, including to neighbouring countries,
G.Whereas the overall security situation has improved since 2013, in particular in the capital Bangui, but remains fragile, with outbreaks of violence increasing again during the last months; whereas crimes such as murder, torture, sexual violence, theft, abduction, destruction of property and illegal trade and possession of weapons continue throughout the country;
H.Whereas renewed fighting between militia groups in November 2016 around the towns of Bambari and of Kaga Bandora has resulted in the killings of 65 people, the displacement of 20,000 people and the partial suspension of humanitarian aid,
I.Whereas a recently formed armed group called “Return, Reclamation, Rehabilitation” has killed civilians, raped and caused large scale displacement over the past year in northwest Central African Republic,
J.Whereas three UN peacekeepers from the MINUSCA were killed in recent attacks,
K.Whereas rebels and military forces from neighbouring countries have infiltrated the Central African Republic and commit attacks against civilians in remote areas, including the abduction of women and children, who are often subjected to forced labour or sexual violence,
L.Whereas due to funding constraints, the World Food Programme announced that it will need to make additional cuts to the food it could provide and that by February 2017, distributions could be suspended altogether,
M.Whereas illicit trade and extraction of diamonds and timber fuel the conflict by contributing to the financing of armed groups;
N.Whereas timber has overtaken diamonds as CAR's number one export and Europe is the premier destination for CAR wood;
O.Whereas the International Criminal Court (ICC) has opened an investigation into possible war crimes in the CAR,
P.Whereas on 5 May 2015 armed groups in CAR have reached an agreement to release 6.000 to 10.000 child soldiers;
Q.Whereas international donors pledged over 2 billion € of assistance to the Central African Republic at a conference in Brussels on 17 November 2016,
1.Condemns the renewed fighting in the Central African Republic resulting once more in killings of civilians and mass displacements; deeply regrets that members of MINUSCA have lost their lives in attacks recently;
2.Strongly condemns all violence against civilians and attacks against UN peacekeepers;
3.Urges all militia groups to constructively engage with the newly elected authorities, to stop targeting civilians and to participate in the disarmament, demobilisation and rehabilitation programmes,
4.Urges the authorities of the Central African Republic, with the support of the international partners, to take all possible steps to ensure the arrest, prosecution and safe, humane and secure detention of perpetrators of crimes committed against civilians, including violations of international human rights and humanitarian law;
5.Regrets that many suspects of having committed crimes under international law and other serious human rights violations and abuses have avoided effective investigation and arrest,
6.Welcomes however the setting up of a national Special Criminal Court; underlines that public expectations in the Central African Republic on this are high; underlines the importance of donor support for this court;
7.Commends the Central African authorities and involved international actors for the organisation of presidential and legislative elections in 2015 and 2016, allowing to put in place a democratically legitimated government,
8.Welcomes the efforts undertaken by President Touadera and his government to foster peace and reconciliation in the Central African Republic, on the background of decades of underdevelopment and fragility and several years of armed conflict; calls on the government of the Central African Republic to further intensify these efforts, in particular concerning dialogue with the armed groups, SSR and DDRR as well as the restoration of the judicial and penal chains in order to fight against impunity;
9.Welcomes the commitments donors have taken at the 17 November 2016 conference in Brussels to the benefit of the Central African Republic,
10.Commends the European External Action Service and the EU Commission for supporting justice and reconciliation as a key policy field of bilateral development cooperation;
11.While recognising that the security situation in the Central African Republic has improved, remains deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation, the highly problematic security situation characterised by the presence of numerous rival armed groups throughout the country and the risks of political instability throughout the country;
12.Urges donors in this context to respect their commitments undertaken towards the World Food Programme and to prevent a further deterioration of delivery of humanitarian aid,
13.Underlines that massive human rights violations due to attacks by armed groups on civilians that take place in more remote provinces are often undetected by the Central African and international authorities;
14.Commends the EU for its comprehensive financial support package for economic development and statebuilding; welcomes the focus foreseen on the support for justice and reconciliation as one of the priority areas;
15.Invites the Central African authorities to develop a nationally-owned strategy to tackle the illicit exploitation and trafficking networks of natural resources;
16.Suggests to the UN to create a cell within the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) to fight against diamonds, timber, gold, ivory trafficking and militarised poaching;
17.Calls on international diamond companies to stop fueling the conflict and human rights abuses by purchasing illicitly extracted and traded diamonds from the Central African Republic; urges European companies that are trading with Central African Republic logging companies to abide by the EU timber regulation and calls on the EU to robustly enforce its EU Timber Regulation against importers of CAR timber;
18.Commends MINUSCA´s efforts to strengthen the capacity of the Central African Republic to monitor and investigate allegations of sexual and gender-based violence, also of its own military and civilian staff, to promote women’s participation in the peace process and to protect childrens’ rights, including the fight against abduction and forced recruitment into armed groups; notes however that the allegations against members of the French armed forces relative to sexual abuse of children in the Central African Republic have not led any court case yet;
19.Considers that the fight against widespread state corruption, illicit economic networks and the installation of a functioning tax administration are key element in a process of economic recovery of the CAR and invites all donors to support measures in these fields;
20.Highlights the important role of civil society organisations in this context and calls for related capacity building;
21.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission, the African Union, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the UN Secretary-General, the UN Human Rights Council, the President of the Central African Republic and Economic Community of Central African States Secretary-General.