Statement by Ambassador Samantha Power, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, on the Adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2134 on the Central African Republic
U.S. Mission to the United Nations
New York, NY
January 28, 2014
The situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) is dangerous and it is deadly. The United States reaffirms its commitment to the people of CAR, many of whom are living in mortal fear of attack, and to bringing relief to the nearly 2.6 million people in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.
The Security Council’s adoption today of a renewed and more robust mandate for the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central African Republic (BINUCA) will allow the UN’s political mission to work directly with the CAR’s transitional authorities to strengthen government institutions. It is now imperative that the UN Secretariat increase the resources available to BINUCA so that it can fulfill this important mandate.
The resolution also creates a framework for the imposition of targeted sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes on individuals who threaten the country’s political process and who have committed atrocities. To break the cycle of violent retribution underway, the people of CAR – those who have fled their homes, who have seen their loved ones murdered, and who are in dire need of food and shelter – need to see that political spoilers and instigators of atrocities will be held to account. Accountability is essential if the people of CAR are to engage in an urgently-needed reconciliation process.
Crucially, the resolution provides a Chapter VII mandate for the European Union (EU) troops who are urgently needed on the ground to help reinforce African Union (AU) and French military efforts to enhance security.
The challenges in CAR are great, and BINUCA and the AU, French, and EU forces will need to cooperate closely in order to improve security, foster political dialogue, and facilitate humanitarian assistance. In all of these efforts, the United States will remain a committed partner.