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Entschließungsantrag - B7-0402/2013Entschließungsantrag
B7-0402/2013
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MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in the Central African Republic

10.9.2013 - (2013/2823(RSP))

with request for inclusion in the agenda for a debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure

Cristian Dan Preda, Bernd Posselt, Filip Kaczmarek, Tunne Kelam, Roberta Angelilli, Eija-Riitta Korhola, Monica Luisa Macovei, Philippe Boulland, Jean Roatta, Mariya Gabriel, Sergio Paolo Francesco Silvestris, Giovanni La Via, Eduard Kukan, Sari Essayah, Petri Sarvamaa, Laima Liucija Andrikienė, Jarosław Leszek Wałęsa, Krzysztof Lisek, Bogusław Sonik on behalf of the PPE Group

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0399/2013

Verfahren : 2013/2823(RSP)
Werdegang im Plenum
Entwicklungsstadium in Bezug auf das Dokument :  
B7-0402/2013
Eingereichte Texte :
B7-0402/2013
Abstimmungen :
Angenommene Texte :

B7‑0402/2013

European Parliament resolution on the situation in the Central African Republic

(2013/2823(RSP))

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on the Central African Republic,

 

- having regard to the statements of 21 December 2012 , 1 and 11 January 2013, 25 March 2013, 21 April 2013, 27 August 2013 by the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the Central African Republic,

 

- having regard to the statement of 21 December 2012 by the UE Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection on the new outbreak of conflict in the Central African Republic

 

- having regards to the ACP-EU JPA resolution on CAR of 19 June 2013,

- having regard to the United Nations Security Council press statements of 27 December 2012 , 4 and 11 January 2013 on Central African Republic

- having regard to the UN Security Council Resolution 2088(2013) of 24 January 2013, the UN Security Council declarations on the CAR, and the briefing of the 14 August 2013 on CAR supporting a new African-led operation,

 

- having regard to the statement of the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon of 26 December 2012 condemning the rebel attacks and urging all parties to abide by the decisions taken by ECCAS on 21 December 2012 in N'Djamena, and of 5 August 2013 calling for an end to impunity for serious human rights abuses in CAR, including the consideration of sanctions

 

- having regard to the statement of 16 April 2013 by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, in which she called for an end to the violence and for the restoration of the rule of law in the country,

 

- having regard to the statements of the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union, Mrs. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, of 12, 19 and 31 December 2012 on the situation in Central African Republic,

 

- having regard to the revised Cotonou Agreement,

 

- having regard to the Libreville (Gabon) Agreement of 11 January 2013 on the resolution of the politico-military crisis in the CAR, signed under the aegis of the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), which sets out the conditions for ending the crisis in the CAR,

 

- having regard to the extraordinary summits of the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), held in N’Djamena (Chad) on 21 December 2012, 3 April 2013 and 18 April 2013, and to their decisions to establish a National Transitional Council (CNT) with legislative and constituent powers and adopt a roadmap for the transition process in the CAR,

 

-  having regard to the meeting of the International Contact Group of 3 May 2013 in Brazzaville (Republic of the Congo), which validated the roadmap for the transition and set up a Special Fund to assist the CAR,

 

- having regard to the 1998 Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), ratified by the CAR 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 CAR,

 

- having regard to Rule 122 of its Rules of Procedure,

 

A. whereas since fighting broke out in CAR at the end of 2012, and Seleka rebels seized power from former President François Bozizé in March this year, CAR has been plunged into chaos, resulting in severe food and medical shortages,

 

B. whereas, following the seizure of power in the country by the rebels, the African Union suspended the CAR on 25 March 2013 and imposed travel bans and asset freezes on insurgent leaders,

 

C. whereas on 24 March 2013 the rebel leader Michel Djotodia took power and on 18 of August 2013 was sworn in as the Central African Republic President leading the country through the 18-month transitional period when elections should be held,

 

D. whereas the ECCAS summit on 3 April 2013 established a National Transitional Council (CNT), which is representative of all the active forces in the country and intended to exercise legislative and constituent powers; whereas that summit also instructed the CNT to elect, from among its number, an interim president and two vice-presidents, the first of whom would hold the presidency of the CNT,

 

E. whereas the ECCAS summit on 18 April 2013 in N’Djamena (Chad) adopted

a roadmap for the composition and functioning of the CNT, and increased its membership to 135 to improve opposition and civil society representation; whereas the International Contact Group meeting on 3 May 2013 in Brazzaville (Republic of the Congo) adopted the roadmap for the transition and set up a Special Fund to assist the CAR,

 

F. whereas security incidents are still reported in the capital of Central African Republic, Bangui, and across the country, and crime remains a major threat with the humanitarian community becoming increasingly a target of looting and attacks by armed groups,

G. whereas over the past 2 weeks arbitrary arrests, detention, torture, extortion, armed robberies, physical violence, restriction of movement, lootings and attacks on civilians have displaced thousands of people in the CAR,

H. whereas the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court issued on 7 of August 2013 her second warning that the crimes in CAR may fall under the ICC’s jurisdiction and that her office will prosecute if necessary,

I. whereas on 20 August 2013, a disarmament operation lead by the Séléka in Boy-Rabé, an area dominated by followers of ex-President François Bozizé, has led to the killing of 11 persons, wounding dozens and was accompanied by pillaging;

J. whereas on 28 August 2013 over 5000 inhabitants of Bangui fled to CAR's main international airport to escape marauding former rebel fighters and occupied the tarmac for around 18 hours;

K. whereas on 4 September 2013, the prosecutor of the Bangui tribunal has asked for a sentence of 10 years of imprisonment for the 24 former Séléka rebels brought to justice in the first trial dealing with the abuses committed in CAR;

 

L. whereas respect for human rights is a fundamental value of the European Union and represents an essential element of the Cotonou agreement;

 

M. whereas Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos warned that CAR is "not yet a failed State but has the potential to become one if swift action is not taken."

 

N. whereas since the coup began in March over 240,000 people have fled their homes and remain without adequate access to services or aid and whereas 1.6 million out of CAR's 5.1 million inhabitants are now categorized as "vulnerable",

 

O. whereas aid agency Save the Children warned that more than 100,000 children faced sexual abuse and recruitment into armed groups in the country and whereas it is estimated that the crisis had left one million children without a school,

 

P. whereas the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ivan Simonovic, estimated that less than 20% of the country's already strained health services are currently operational and that many medical centers have been abandoned or looted,

 

Q. whereas Medicine San Frontier's (MSF) Head of Mission in CAR reported an increase of 33% of patients treated for malaria,

 

R. whereas the recent Emergency Food Security Assessment (EFSA) revealed that 484,000 people are at risk of food insecurity in the country,

 

S. whereas the Cameroonian authorities temporarily shut down the border with CAR on August 21 after claiming Seleka rebels attacked a border town of Toktoyo and killed a Cameroonian border officer, and whereas despite the border reopening, truckers remain hesitant to about crossing into CAR over deteriorating security conditions,

 

T. whereas on 11 July 2013 Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva announced that the EC will increase its humanitarian aid by €8 million to the Central African Republic augmenting it up to €20 million this year of the EU's emergency relief to CAR,

 

 

 

 

1. Expresses its deep concern over the situation in Central African Republic which is characterized, more than five months after the seizure of power by the Séléka rebels, by a complete breakdown of law and order and the absence of the rule of law; condemns the recent violence that has further eroded even the most basic services in the country and exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation affecting the entire population;

 

2. Strongly condemns the serious violations of humanitarian law and widespread violations of human rights law, notably by elements of the Séléka, including extrajudicial killings, summary executions, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and detention, torture, sexual and gender-based violence and the recruitment of child soldiers;

 

3. Stresses that there can be no impunity for perpetrators of gross human rights and international humanitarian law violations; calls for the perpetrators of these acts to be reported, identified, prosecuted and punished in accordance with national and international criminal law; points out in this regard that the situation in the CAR has already been brought before the ICC and welcomes the statement made on 7 August 2013 by the Prosecutor of the ICC;

 

4. Calls on CAR authorities to to take concrete measures to protect the civilian population, to restore public order, security and basic services of electricity and water, as well as end the recruitment and use of children in armed groups;

 

5. Underlines the need for progress on the political aspects of the crisis that are central for achieving lasting peace in CAR; welcomes the conclusions adopted at the Special Summit of ECCAS on 18 April in N'Djamena that reaffirm the centrality of the Libreville Agreement of 11 January 2013 and set out the conditions of the transition in Central African Republic for a return to constitutional order;

 

6. Underlines the importance of respecting the Libreville Agreement by all parties in order to overcome recurrent crises and restore the rule of law in the CAR; stresses in this respect the necessity of cooperation by all parties with the Government of National Unity as the single, representative entity;

 

7. Notes the establishment of the National Transitional Council, its election of a Head of State, and the establishment of a transitional government; notes that the transition will last for a period of 18 months, by the end of which constitutional legality and order must be fully restored, including by the holding of free, fair and transparent elections; calls for more efforts in swiftly implementing the transitional arrangements;

 

8. Calls on the VP/HR, the UN Security Council and the Peace and Security Council of the AU actively to support the implementation of the roadmap, and welcomes the security measures already taken by the Government of National Unity;

 

9. Reaffirms its support for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the CAR;

 

10. Welcomes the decision of the Heads of States of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) to significantly increase the size of the Multinational Force of Central Africa (FOMAC) and to adopt an appropriate mission mandate to contribute to the securing of the Central African Republic; at the same time expresses its concerns that although 1,300 ECCAS troops have been deployed to CAR, they have been unable to prevent the country from sliding into lawlessness; points out that worsening situation in CAR could lead to regional instability;

 

11. Welcomes the decision of the Central African Republic to launched a program to collect unauthorized weapons in response to violence and petty crime in the chronically unstable nation;

 

12. Supports the Government of National Unity in its desire to bring all perpetrators of crime to justice; congratulates the Government of National Unity on having established a commission of inquiry into the crimes; takes note of the opening of the first trial dealing with the abuses committed by former Séléka members and expresses its hope that this will pave the way to consistent and sustained efforts to fight impunity on behalf of the transitional authorities;

 

13. Considers it necessary, furthermore, to address the consequences of the conflicts, particularly by reform of the armed forces and security forces, demilitarisation, the demobilisation and reintegration of ex-combatants, the repatriation of refugees, the return of internally displaced persons to their homes, and the implementation of viable development programmes;

 

14. Welcomes the continuing engagement of regional leaders, including President Deby of the Republic of Chad and President Sassou-Nguesso of the Republic of Congo, in negotiating a durable political solution to the current crisis, under the provisions of the Libreville Agreement, as well as the active role of the UN, the AU, the EU, ECCAS, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), South Africa, Benin, France and the United States, which contributed to the signing of the Libreville Accords;

 

15. Calls on the international Community to to keep CAR at the top of its agenda and to support this fragile country; stresses in this respect that the humanitarian community must also maintain its commitment to CAR, in spite of the current political and security situation, and allocate adequate resources to respond to the medical and humanitarian crisis going through the country;

 

16. Welcomes the increased EU support in addressing the humanitarian crisis in CAR and calls on the EU and its Members States, as leading donors to the country, to enhance their coordination with the other donors and international institutions in order to adequately meet the urgent humanitarian needs and alleviate the suffering of the Central Africans;

 

17.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, HR/VP Catherine Ashton, the UN Security Council, the UN Secretary General, the institutions of the African Union, ECCAS, the ACP-EU Parliamentary Assembly and the EU Member States.