Central African Republic: State of Neglect: Displaced Children in the Central African Republic

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^{31 December 2008}

The number of people displaced within the Central African Republic fell in 2008 as ceasefire agreements between the government and rebel groups led to an “Inclusive Political Dialogue” in Bangui in December between the government, its political and armed opposition, and civil society. However, neither the army nor international troops have been able to protect civilians from attacks by road bandits, causing new displacements and affecting the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Over 100,000 people were still displaced at the end of 2008 in northern CAR, though almost as many had returned to their villages of origin during the year, as had about 4,000 people who had fled to Chad. With the exception of the residents of the one IDP site in the town of Kabo, most IDPs were dispersed in remote rural towns after periods of living in small groups in the bush without social services. They were relying almost entirely on these host communities for support.

The political conflict broke out in 2005 between the government of president François Bozizé and armed opposition groups seeking representation and power sharing. However, in 2008, human rights abuses caused by road bandits known as “coupeurs de route” or Zaraguina became the main cause of internal displacement. OCHA estimates that a third of all people displaced in CAR were displaced by road bandits operating with impunity in the absence of government forces.

Since 2005, IDPs in CAR have suffered from a range of human rights violations and abuses, including unlawful killings, the looting and destruction of their villages and fields, loss of livelihoods, sexual violence, and the abduction and recruitment of children. All armed groups have perpetrated these crimes. Government forces committed atrocities against civilians until late 2007 in retaliation for their support of opposition groups which, as the de facto authorities in some areas, punished civilians when their authority was not respected. The road bandits have in turn committed atrocities for financial gain; and selfdefence militias, created with the support of the government in response to attacks by road bandits, have recruited children.

Although 85,000 IDPs returned home in 2008, durable solutions will be unattainable until north-western CAR is more secure. The primary challenge facing the government is to re-establish and strengthen state presence by restoring services including health care, water and sanitation, and primary education, and by training, outfitting and deploying security forces to protect communities including those displaced.

There are no laws or policies to protect IDPs, but CAR has ratified the Great Lakes Pact and is expected to enact an IDP law by December 2009 which should incorporate the Guiding Principles. This law is being drafted with the support of UNHCR and the National Commission for Refugees.

International military forces deployed as peacekeeping troops have had little impact in areas of displacement. The regional peacekeeping forces FOMUC and subsequently MICOPAX have attempted to provide security by patrolling main roads, but their numbers and area of operations have been limited. In 2008, a European Union force was deployed to Chad and CAR with a Security Council mandate to protect refugees and IDPs affected by the spill-over of violence from Darfur, and to safeguard the delivery of humanitarian assistance. However only 250 EUFOR troops were deployed, near the north-eastern border with Sudan, and road bandits and conflict have mostly caused displacement near the borders with Chad and Cameroon.

UN agencies and international NGOs provide protection and assistance to conflict-affected communities in CAR, and some are also working on early recovery and development programmes. The cluster approach was implemented in CAR in July 2007. Since then, ten clusters have been activated, grouped under the Humanitarian and Development Partnership Team (HDPT), a platform that has been instrumental in increasing visibility and funding. However the Humanitarian Coordinator has yet to ensure a coordinated response to the needs of IDPs, and continued lobbying is still needed for urgent humanitarian resources and funding for assistance programmes that improve the living conditions of IDPs in particular.

19 March 2009: Chad / Central African Republic: IDPs still need protection despite transfer of command from European forces to UN blue helmets

European Union troops of EUFOR handed over operations to MINURCAT, the UN peacekeeping mission in Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR) on 15 March. Working under Chapter VII, which authorises UN peacekeepers to take all necessary measures to fulfill their mandate, they are charged with protecting IDPs and refugees, facilitating delivery of humanitarian aid, and creating security conditions favourable to a voluntary, secure and sustainable return of IDPs and refugees.

Although EUFOR has been credited with helping to deter attacks against displaced communities, international aid workers have reported a serious deterioration of security involving rising levels of sexual violence against displaced women and girls, recruitment of displaced children into armed groups, and more than 160 criminal attacks against humanitarian operations since the beginning of 2008. These physical attacks, killings, carjackings and raids on aid compounds have forced organisations to suspend activities.

Aid organisations have called for a political mandate for MINURCAT, to support a comprehensive and inclusive peace process for resolving the current crisis in Chad. International NGOs are concerned that UN peacekeepers, like their predecessors, will be unable to end the rampant insecurity and widespread impunity plaguing eastern Chad.