Highlights
- Peace agreement between government with FDPC
- Humanitarian corridor Ndélé (RCA)-Daha (Tchad)
- Bangui floods - over 10,000 people affected
Background and security
FDPC signs peace agreement
On Friday, July 3 in Syrte in Libya, a comprehensive peace agreement was signed between the Central African government and the Front Démocratique du Peuple Centrafricain (FDPC) on the sidelines of the 13th summit of the African Union.
The signatures on the document are of the FDPC leader, General Abdoulaye Miskine and of the Minister of State for Communications with responsibility for National Reconciliation, Cyriaque Gonda. The ceremony took place in the presence of Dr. Azeri Abash El Madame, General Secretary of CEN-SAD from the Committee of Sahalian states.
Under this agreement, the FDPC has agreed to enter into the process of Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR).
Following the signing, an FDPC delegation left Syrte for Bangui in a plane carrying the government delegation, FDPC leader Miskine is still in Libya but expected soon in Bangui.
Inter-agency mission to Obo in Car's east
A joint United Nations mission went to Obo for an evaluation mission from June 25 to July 6. The mission was made up of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), World Food Program (WFP), and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The mission's aims were to evaluate the humanitarian needs of refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo in Obo and prepare a timely response.
More than 209 people - over 50% women and children - have found temporary shelter in the church of Africa Inland Mission (AIM) in Obo.
These refugees are from Congolese towns near the CAR border, amongst them former prisoners of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) who said they had fled following atrocities committed by LRA rebels.
News
Humanitarian corridor from CAR to Chad
265 tons of food from the World Food Program (WFP) composed of two months of food rations for 17,000 Central African refugees at Daha in southern Chad has arrived safely at its destination. The operation was carried out with the written permission of Chiefs of Staff of the CAR armed forces and the facilitation of the Department of Safety and Security United Nations (UNDSS), OCHA and local authorities.
21 trucks and 2 4*4 vehicles left Ndélé on July 5 to travel to Daha in Chad via Ngarba in CAR along the humanitarian corridor.
This four-day operation has enabled the Central African refugees who have fled violence in the north east to be reached with humanitarian assistance.
At the end of the operation, other urgent needs such as rehabilitation of the road and difficulties for humanitarians in accessing the road have been identified.
Evaluations are ongoing for emergency rehabilitation of the section concerned, in collaboration with the local community.
The United Nations system in Car is grateful to the authorities and those of Chad and all those who played a role in facilitating this humanitarian corridor. It re-iterates its commitment to cooperation and working in transparency with those in need.
US support for CAR elections
On the 4th of July, the United States Ambassador to the Central African Republic Frederick Cook announced that his country is giving 470 million FCFA to the government to cover part of the cost of the legislative and presidential elections in 2010.
This announcement, on the sidelines of celebrations marking the 233rd anniversary of Independence of the United States, will go towards projects which observer and monitor the elections.
More information : Joseph Ngozo, Ambassade des Etats Unis, (236) 75 50 50 19, josephngozo@yahoo.com
Bangui floods: 1,524 homes destroyed
10,813 people have been reported homeless after heavy rains on the night of 3 to 4 July - rains which caused flooding in the 2nd, 4th, 5th and 6th districts of Bangui.
Most (over 75%) of those affected were women and children between 0 and 14 years. A sharp deterioration in health, hygiene and sanitation was reported while urgent needs identified by the Red Cross include assistance in emergency food rations and non-food items (blankets, clothing, sheets, lamps and kitchen kits).
2 people have died as a result of the flooding (one child and a woman whose home collapsed), while 5 children were hospitalized.
Some affected families have found accommodation with host families while others have settled temporarily in classrooms of primary schools, in churches or are sleeping outdoors.
More information: Antoine Mbao Bogo, Croix Rouge Centrafricaine, (236) 75 50 14 11, sn_crca@yahoo.fr
Education
Japan supports CAR education system
On Wednesday, July 1, an agreement was signed to finance a school-building project to the tune of 5.8 billion FCFA.
The signing took place between the Minister of State for Planning, the Economy and International Cooperation, Sylvain Maliko and the interim chargé d'affaires at the Embassy of Japan, Akira Takeda.
The agreement will allow for the construction of 109 classrooms in 11 primary schools in the city of Bangui and its surroundings.
The objective of this project is to contribute to a greater reach and greater quality of primary education in CAR.
More information: Jean Louis Pouninguinza, Ministère du Plan, (236) 75 50 64 84, jean-louis.pouninguinza@minplan.org
Contact us: UN OCHA RCA | Boris Ngouagouni, ngouagouni@un.org|+236 70.18.80.61