By Cecilia Ologunagba
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called on all Central Africans to participate peacefully in the country’s Dec 28 polls.
He also urged authorities to ensure that the elections are conducted in a peaceful, orderly, inclusive and credible manner in the elections.
Guterres made the call in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric on Wednesday.
The UN chief appealed to all political actors and stakeholders to refrain from actions that could incite violence or undermine confidence in the process.
Guterres stressed the importance of safeguarding the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the electoral period.
Sunday’s elections will be unprecedented in scope, combining four ballots – presidential, legislative, regional and municipal – across the country.
Municipal elections, in particular, have not been held in the Central African Republic (CAR) since 1988 and are a key provision of the 2019 Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation.
The secretary-general described their conduct as “an historic milestone in the peace process” and a critical step toward consolidating decentralisation and extending state authority beyond the capital.
The country has long grappled with armed violence, weak institutions and a limited state presence beyond the capital, Bangui.
Despite the 2019 agreement, insecurity persists in parts of the country, while conflict, fragile services and extreme weather continue to fuel a humanitarian crisis.
More than two million people are in need of assistance, while nearly one million are displaced at home or abroad.
Vast, sparsely populated and landlocked, CAR is bordered by six countries and crisscrossed by dense forests, rivers and long, often impassable roads.
Outside Bangui, many communities are reachable only by air or days-long journeys.
Guterres acknowledged the efforts of national authorities in preparing the vote and highlighted the role of the UN peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA, in supporting the process, in coordination with other UN agencies.
In recent weeks, MINUSCA has mobilised extensive logistical and security support to deploy electoral materials across the country, including to remote and hard-to-reach areas.
The mission transported ballot papers, indelible ink, voter lists and other sensitive materials from Bangui to nearly 4,000 voting centres housing about 6,700 polling stations nationwide.
MINUSCA deployed all aircraft and helicopters in its fleet to ferry election materials and personnel.
The mission also escorted secure ground convoys, and provided temporary storage facilities for sensitive equipment in coordination with the National Elections Authority (NEA).
It further supported civic education and voter awareness campaigns, including on preventing electoral violence and promoting a code of conduct for political actors.
More than 2.39 million registered voters, including over 1.14 million women, are expected to cast their ballots. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Mark Longyen
