UN: Central African Republic deserves global commitment

BANGUI, Central African Republic

The UN secretary-general on Wednesday called on the international community to act in solidarity to help the Central African Republic deal with chaos and violence.

"We need the commitment of the international community not only to reduce this suffering, but because there is an opportunity to build a new Central African Republic in peace and security," Antonio Guterres told a joint press conference with Faustin-Archange Touadera, the nation’s president, in the capital Bangui.

"This international solidarity can allow the Central African Republic to engage in a process of development for the benefit of all its people," added Guterres, who arrived in Bangui on Tuesday for a four-day visit.

"I am optimistic [that] it is the moment for the international community to commit because it is worthwhile," he said.

Touadera, for his part, said that he had discussed with Guterres the country’s problems.

"I spoke with the UN secretary-general about the current situation of the Central African Republic and especially our will to move forward, and I have not failed to ask again for the support of the United Nations. I am satisfied with the response of Antonio Guterres, who assured me of his support and that of the United Nations," he said.

The UN chief will also visit Bangassou in the southern part of the country, where he will meet local officials, internally displaced persons, and other members of the community. He will also meet with the civilian and uniformed personnel of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country.

Ongoing violence

Guterres will deliver a speech at the National Assembly on Oct. 27 before visiting the PK5, a predominantly Muslim district of Bangui.

The UN has condemned the ongoing violence across the country. On Oct. 13 an attack on a mosque in the southeastern town of Kembe left 26 people dead.

Violence erupted in the central African state in 2013 when Seleka rebels ousted then-President Francois Bozize, a Christian leader who came to power in a 2003 coup.

Fierce fighting has continued between Muslim Seleka and Christian anti-Balaka rebels, forcing nearly half of the country's population to depend on humanitarian assistance, according to the UN.

Reporting by Syvestre Krock; Writing by Felix Nkambeh Tih;