UN could increase peacekeepers in CAR

The Security Council is deciding whether to increase the number of United Nations peacekeepers in the Central African Republic (CAR), one of the recommendations put forward by Secretary-General António Guterres for strengthening the operation, which was discussed at today’s meeting in New York.
Briefing the Council, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for CAR, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, said the proposal to increase the strength of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSCA) by 900 troops is part of “a comprehensive strategy to address the deteriorating situation,” while working closely with the Government and creating space for the political process.
“We will seek to improve the protection of civilians with a stronger emphasis on early warning and prevention, and we will put greater efforts to ensure humanitarian access to populations in need,” said Mr. Onanga-Anyanga.
The senior UN official, which also the head of MINUSCA, told the Council that intra-communal fighting has forced nearly 600,000 people from their homes within CAR and another half-million outside of its border.
“Many more have disappeared, in oblivion and silence, without burial. Their fate and the volatility of the security situation further darkened an already disastrous humanitarian environment,” he added, calling CAR “the most dangerous country for humanitarian action.”