Joint Communique (Agreement of Ippy)

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Country/entity: Central African Republic
Region: Africa (excl MENA)
Agreement name: Joint Communique (Agreement of Ippy)
Date: 6 Oct 2017
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/local conflict
Central African Republic Conflicts (1996 - )
The Central African Republic conflict is one of a set of regionally connected conflicts addressed by the African Great Lakes process. After the country gained independence from France in 1960 it has been ruled by a sequence of autocratic leaders that principally gained power through coups. Since the mid-1990s several waves of internal conflict took place in the Central African Republic, primarily along tribal, and later-on increasingly sectarian, lines. In 1996 and 1997, French troops and soldiers from neighbouring countries intervened to end a mutiny in the capital, Bangui, by factions of the army. The fighting was predominantly along tribal lines, with southern tribes in revolt against the ‘northern’ government. A UN mission was installed in 1998 to secure the truce.
After General Bozizé took control of the country after several coup attempts in 2003, a ‘bush war’ began led by armed opposition forces. From late 2006 onward, government troops with French military support severely weakened the rebels. Following this, a number of agreements were signed during 2007-2008, but not all factions have accepted them. In 2011, Bozizé was re-elected in supposedly fraudulent elections, which resulted in a new wave of uprisings. Séléka, an alliance of northern rebel groups, took over parts of the country and forced Bozizé to agree to a power-sharing deal. However, after this agreement broke down, Séléka took control of Bangui and Bozizé had to flee the country in 2013. Leader of Séléka, Michel Djotodia, took office and officially disbanded Séléka. However, continual violence between ex-Séléka groups and opposing militias, collectively known as ‘anti-balaka’, persisted and Djotodia was forced to resign less than a year later. Catherine Samba-Panza was installed as interim president until Faustin Archange Touadéra was elected in January 2016. In February 2019 an agreement was signed between the government and fourteen armed groups, including ex-Seleka groups, committed to disarmament. However, violence between ex-Seleka groups and anti-balaka continues.
Stage: Ceasefire/related
Conflict nature: Inter-group
Peace process: CAR: Local Processes
Parties: Representatives of the various CNDS, UPC, RDR armed groups, operating in the Haute-Koto and the Waka areas.
Third parties: -
Description: The agreement is comprised of the joint declaration and not accompanying report. The parties commit to a cessation of hostilities and other actions to end conflict in the joint declaration. Later UN reports record the date as the 9 October but the date on the photograph of the original seems to be clearly the 6 October 2017

Agreement document: CF_171006_Joint_Communiqué_tr.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF
Agreement document (original language): CF_171006_Joint_Communiqué_FR.pdf (opens in new tab)| Download PDF

Local agreement properties

Process type: Formal structured process
Rationale: The report on the series of meetings held to reach the agreement describes a formalized process initiated by leaders of the politico-military groups between the 2nd and the 6th of October 2017. The reconciliation initiative was also attended by a representative of the MINUSCA.
Is there a documented link to a national peace process?: Yes
Link to national process: articulated rationale: Page 1, We, representatives of the various CNDS, UPC, RDR armed groups, operating in the Haute-Koto and the Waka areas, solemnly undertake at the end of the meeting to: [...] - Foster action by MINUSCA
Name of Locale: Haute-Koto and the Waka areas
Nature of Locale: Region
GPS Lat/Long (DD): 7.066188, 22.052061
Participant type: Local armed group
Mediator, facilitator or similar: No mention of mediator or similar

Local issues

Ritual/prayer and process (including use of scripture): No specific mention.
Grievance List: No specific mention.
Cattle rustling/banditry: No specific mention.
Social cover: No specific mention.

Joint Communiqué

We, representatives of the various CNDS, UPC, RDR armed groups, operating in the Haute-Koto and the Waka areas, solemnly undertake at the end of the meeting to:

- Definitively cease all hostility

- End all attacks and abuse against the civilian population

- Work towards the return of lasting peace, cohesion, and cohabitation

- Facilitate the free movement of people and goods in the prefectures of Haute-Koto, Waka, and Basse-Koto

- Encourage the resumption of academic activities in Haute-Koto and Waka.

- Facilitate the return of IDPs to their respective neighborhoods.

- Adhere to the process of dialogue and reconciliation

- Foster the free movement of humanitarian personnel

- Foster action by MINUSCA

- [ILLEGIBLE]

Done at IPPY on October 06, 2017

Signatory parties:

The rapporteur

The president of the [ILLEGIBLE]

REPORT ON THE RECONCILIATION MEETING BETWEEN ARMED GROUPS

Within the framework of the search for peace, social cohesion, and cohabitation selected by the Central Africans, his excellence Mr. ABDOULAYE ISSENE RAMADAN, in his capacity as President of the National Defense and Security Council, and an urgent request from the Head of the UPC, General Ali DARASSA, initiated the meeting between the members of the CNDS, encapsulating the FPRC, MPC, and RPRC movements, and the UPC, represented by the political coordinator Mr. HASSAN BMIBA and the RDR of General GAETAN BLADE.

Thus from the arrival of the members of the CNDS delegation on 02-10-2017, several meetings were held successively, with the President of the Special Delegation of the city of IPPY, the Deputy [ILLEGIBLE] and [ILLEGIBLE] of IPPY, as well as the youth president.

[ILLEGIBLE PARAGRAPH]

Thus, on the evening of 05-10-2017, the UPC delegation arrived at IPPY.

The following day 06-10-2017, a meeting gathering all the armed groups operating in WAKA, BASSE-KOTTO, and HAUTE-KOTTO was held in the BOUMOU district at the residence of the delegation, from 9:15 am to 1:30 pm.

After having eloquently exchanged on the misdeeds of the conflicts which oppose them, and recognized on both sides their respective faults, pardons were formulated and accepted.

All participants affirmed that they were not enemies but rather brothers and friends, to put an end to the armed struggle between the UPC, the CNDS, and the RDR.

Confessions were issued, following the example of HASSAN BOUBA, Political Coordinator of the UPC, by communicating the message of Ali DARASSA [ILLEGIBLE SECTION]

Junior KENGUEMBA, while praising the reconciliation initiative, requested a direct and sincere discussion with General Ali DARASSA.

As a symbol of forgiveness, and to prove their sincerity and commitment to peace, Junior KENGUEMBA and HASSAN BOUBA exchanged their bottles of water in front of the audience.

As for the Representative of MINUSCA, very pleased to see the sons and daughters of the country reconcile and reach solutions to their problems, thanked the armed groups for this initiative of dialogue and reconciliation.

He also added that armed groups must stick only to their original demands, and to dialogue solely with the state - not to attack civilians as was often the case.

[ILLEGIBLE SECTION]

[…] the stakeholders is to prepare an attack on Bambaire or launch an offensive on the capital Bangui in order to take control.

It was after a rocky and heated debate that a joint communiqué was drawn up.

Done at IPPY on 06-10-2017