Central African Republic

Background

Central African Republic (CAR) has long been a country neglected by humanitarian aid despite this landlocked country being ranked as the 10th most instable country on the failed states index. It is surrounded by conflict in its neighbouring countries of Chad, Sudan, Uganda, Congo and Cameroon; and has seen the displacement of more than 305 000 persons from its seven northern prefectures after a decade of coups and mutinies destabilising the country.

Though 2005 brought in an elected François Boizizé to head the state, the peace and stability that was hoped for was never witnessed. Armed militant groups against the government quickly materialised in the northern prefectures with rebel assaults on the government by the ARPD, FDPC and the UFDR from 2005 through to 2007. The government forces (FACA) retaliated with the most atrocious human rights abuses engaging in a vicious spree of aggression against innocent civilians. They burned down houses, enacted torture and executions, performed forced recruitment and used sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) to persecute the female population who lived in rebel held areas.

An attempt at peace and stability has been made with three peace agreements signed between each of the rebel groups during 2007 and May of 2008, and the recent placing of CAR on the UN peace building commission on June 12th of 2008. There is just as much of a chance for their success or failure, however renewed aggression of FACA in the northern prefecture of Ouham Pendé and the recent displacement of over 10 000 refugees into Southern Chad may predict the breakdown of the peace accords.

The culmination of years of instability and the current state of insecurity by non-political forces has left the country without any infrastructure at the capital level in Bangui or in terms of the physical support on the ground with roads and bridges destroyed, and the majority of health facilities and schools no longer functioning. The health statistics of the 4.7 million population are staggering with 8 physicians/100000 persons, an infant mortality rate of 106/1000 live births, a child mortality rate of 176/1000 live births and a maternal mortality rate of 1355/100000 live births , rates that have been worsening annually and have put CAR far off the track of achieving millennium development goals (MDGs) for 2015. Malaria remains the main cause of morbidity and mortality in the country with more than 50% of health facility visits attributed to malaria. Tragically most do not have access to health care and many vulnerable children and pregnant women die unattended to and their deaths unrecorded. CAR should be a major priority of the international humanitarian community, but donors have been slow to commit funding this crisis.