Synthesis of the Harmonised Claims of the Armed Groups of the RCO Bouar, of 30 August 2018

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Country/entity: Central African Republic
Region: Africa (excl MENA)
Agreement name: Synthesis of the Harmonised Claims of the Armed Groups of the RCO Bouar, of 30 August 2018
Date: 30 Aug 2018
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate 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: Pre-negotiation/process
Conflict nature: Inter-group
Peace process: CAR: African Initiative (and related) Process
Parties: 14 armed groups, signed in French language original pdf.
RPRC Rassemblement Patriotique pour le Renouveau de la Centrafrique
FDPC Front démocratique du peuple centrafricain
ATB / MOKOM Anti-Balaka, Mokom faction
3R Retour, réclamation et réhabilitation
UFR-R Union des forces républicaines (fraction)
MPC Mouvement Patriotic Centrafricain
UPC Unité pour la paix en Centrafrique
MLCJ Mouvement des libérateurs centrafricains pour la justice
FPRC Front Populaire pour la Renaissance de la Centrafrique
SELEKA - RENOVEE Séléka Rénovée
ATB / PEN Anti-Balaka, National coordination of the ex-anti-Balaka, Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona
RJ / B Révolution and Justice (splintered, Belanga)
RJS Révolution and Justice (Sayo)
UFR Union des forces républicaines
Third parties: No third parties recorded as signing the agreement. However, secondary sources suggest that the agreement resulted from the Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation, which was adopted by the African Union on 17 July 2017.
Description: In this agreement, resulting from a listening 'exercise' and facilitation by the AU's Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation, the 14 armed groups address the government of CAR with a list of demands, spanning political reform, socio-economic reconstruction, matters of security, and issues related to peace, rights, and humanitarian concerns. The groups, which had fought amongst themselves, agree to common positions which were subsequently presented to the government.

Agreement document: CF_180830_Synthesis_of_the_Harmonised_Claims_of_the_Armed_Groups_of_the_CAR_Bouar_tr.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF
Agreement document (original language): CF_30082018_Synthesis_of_the_Harmonised_Claims_of_the_Armed_Groups_of_the_RCO_Bouar.pdf (1).pdf (opens in new tab)| Download PDF

Main category: Page 2, Column A. Political [demands]:
9. Promotion and respect for women's rights;

Page 1, Column B. Socio-economic [demands]:
4. Support for associations and NGOs, women, young people, etc.

Page 3, Column B. Socio-economic [demands]:
20. Set up of a microcredit fund intended to finance the initiatives of young people and women associated with armed groups;

Women, girls and gender

Participation: No specific mention.
Equality: No specific mention.
Particular groups of women: Particular groups of women→Other
Page 3, Column B. Socio-economic [demands]:
20. Set up of a microcredit fund intended to finance the initiatives of young people and women associated with armed groups;
International law: No specific mention.
New institutions: No specific mention.
Violence against women: No specific mention.
Transitional justice: No specific mention.
Institutional reform: No specific mention.
Development: Development→General
Page 3, Column B. Socio-economic [demands]:
20. Set up of a microcredit fund intended to finance the initiatives of young people and women associated with armed groups;
Implementation: No specific mention.
Other: Page 2, Column A. Political [demands]:
9. Promotion and respect for women's rights;

Page 1, Column B. Socio-economic [demands]:
4. Support for associations and NGOs, women, young people, etc.

1. SUMMARY OF THE DEMANDS OF THE ARMED GROUPS OF CAR, IN BOUAR, AUGUST 30, 2018

A. POLITICAL

1. Participation in the management of the State by appointing executives in the politico-administrative institutions/services of the country;

2. Restoration of State authority / Reconstruction and restructuring of the administration;

3. Development of a policy for the protection of minorities and their representation in the management of state affairs;

4. Fair treatment of armed groups;

5. Acceleration of the decentralization process

6. Release of prisoners arrested due to politico-military movements;

7. Recognition of the status of traditional heads of state

8. Establishment of a follow-up committee for the conclusions of the dialogue process;

9. Promotion and respect for women's rights;

10. Promotion of competence and excellence in public administration

11. Transformation of armed groups into political parties;

12. Respect and implementation of the relevant conclusions of the Bangui forum 2015

13. Organization of regional and municipal elections in 2019

14. Formation of the Good Governance Authority

15. Return of politico-military leaders in exile

16. Recognition of the right to citizenship and administrative documents without harassment, especially for Muslim and Peuhl communities;

17. Establishment of two administrative control posts (PCA), in the Vakaga and Haute-Kotto sub-prefectures;

18. Formation of a government to end the crisis;

19. Dialogue / Negotiations in a neutral country;

20. “

Consultation” of Armed Groups when choosing a Prime Minister;

B. SOCIO-ECONOMIC

1. Construction of national roads, hospitals, schools, boreholes, and installation of water wells;

2. Support to the agro-pastoral sector and promotion of agriculture as well as fish farming;

3. Reopening of schools and hospitals;

4. Support for associations and NGOs, women, young people, etc.

5. Development and equitable access to vocational training, as well as the building of literacy centers;

6. Taking young people into account in public development policies and reducing youth unemployment;

7. Taking measures to control government revenues, resources, and expenses/management;

8. Promotion of a job creation policy, accessible by all;

9. Deployment of basic social services with non-discriminatory access for all communities;

10. Creation of a university in each of the North-East, West, and South-East;

11. Computerization of state services;

12. Rehabilitation and development of livestock breeder communities;

13. Set up of a crisis budget to meet social needs and aid in economic recovery

14. Reform of the mining sector, the hydrocarbon sector, and the forest sector while respecting environmental standards;

15. Fight against corruption and transparency in the award of public contracts;

16. Promotion of the revival of the economy in areas strongly affected by conflicts;

17. Promotion of local processing of natural products and wealth;

18. Creation of a climate conducive to the revival of socio-economic activities;

19. Revitalization of the crafts industry and promotion of entrepreneurship;

20. Set up of a microcredit fund intended to finance the initiatives of young people and women associated with armed groups;

21. Establishment of communication antennas in the inland region (radio, television, telephone);

22. Organization of socio-cultural activities (sports);

23. Environmental sanitation (Theoretical phase = Awareness + Practical phase);

24. Construction of irrigation canals in all regions with low rainfall;

25. Demarcation and securing of transhumance corridors;

26. Promotion of rural groups throughout the country (agriculture, livestock breeding, fish farming, fabric production, mining workers, trade;

27. Integration into the public service of ex-combatants according to their profile;

28. Equipment of agro-pastoral groups with farming equipment for their subprefectures;

29. Rehabilitation or construction of petrol stations throughout the country;

30. The building of veterinary practices in all regions and sub-prefectures of the Country;

31. Upgrading of power stations in all regions of the Country;

32. Establishment of PMIs;

33. Rehabilitation of agro-pastoral research stations throughout the country;

34. Rehabilitation of factories for the processing of agro-pastoral products throughout the country;

35. Identification of households who have lost their driving oxen, and provision of these with harrow plows, carts, rickshaws, shredders, and manual hullers, with the aim of a rapid revival of agricultural production;

36. Assitance rebuilding or restoring places of worship that have been vandalized and/or burned down;

37. Redefinition of the provisions of the mining code concerning the shares to be paid in favor of local development.

C. SECURITY AND DEFENSE

1. Agreement on / recognition of stages in the DDRR, RSS process;

2. Restructuring, restoration, and redeployment of a republican defense and security force;

3. Acceleration of the implementation of the Great DDRRR in all its aspects, drawing inspiration from the results of the pilot project DDRR;

4. Integration of elements of politico-military groups into the SDS;

5. Securing of prefectures, borders and sensitive areas;

6. Reintegration into their original bodies of the former FACA who had evolved into armed groups;

7. Promotion of the free movement of people and goods by removing illegal physical and administrative barriers;

8. Cessation of hostilities between armed groups as well as all acts of violence against the population and humanitarian workers;

9. Respect for regional balances in the SDS;

10. Fight against arms trafficking;

11. Securing of minority communities;

12. Protection of flora and fauna against poachers;

13. Security assurances for disarmed, demobilized and billeted ex-combatants;

14. Dissolution of all militias;

15. Prohibition of the home manufacturing of weapons and collection of homemade weapons;

16. Regulation of hunting weapons;

17. "

Guarantee" of certain combatants once demobilized;

18. Repatriation of foreign mercenaries;

19. Consideration for the elements of the MLCJ disarmed in 2011, elements of URF-F disarmed in 2012, and elements of URF disarmed and relocated to the provinces;

20. Forced disarmament of armed groups not recognized in the DDRR, including self-defense groups;

21. Consideration of homemade weapons in the DDRR criteria;

22. Construction of a memorial in the name of all the Central Africans who sacrificed their lives in defense of the Fatherland;

23. Revision of the average age of recruitment in the uniformed bodies;

24. Creation of military regions in the Prefectures;

25. Re-operationalization of the FACA forces throughout the territory;

26. Issuance of civil status documents to ex-combatants who do not have them, as part of DDRR.

D. JUSTICE, RECONCILIATION AND HUMANITARIAN QUESTIONS

1. Support for rehoming and assistance to displaced persons and refugees;

2. Reconstruction and establishment of a Truth, Justice, Repair and Reconciliation Commission;

3. Creation of a compensation fund for victims;

4. Recognition and strengthening of the role of traditional chiefdoms;

5. Raising of awareness on the fight against all forms of exclusion and discrimination;

6. Guarantee of the implementation of independent and fair justice;

7. Non-discrimination in access to health care;

8. Fair treatment of all national communities;

9. Restructuring of the judicial and penitentiary system;

10. Promotion of sports activities for cohabitation;

11. Promotion of the culture of peace;

12. Cessation of media manipulation;

13. Suppression of the names Seleka and Antibalaka to promote social cohesion;

14. Training of local authorities on education for peace and reconciliation;

15. Assistance to widows and orphans victims of armed violence;

16. Health and food support for billeted ex-combatants;

17. Support for leaders of armed groups;

18. Creation of national listening centers throughout the country;

19. Housing:

Relocation of the peasants whose houses were burnt down and help with reconstruction by the delivery of imported materials (tools, wood, iron, hinges, and padlocks) for houses of 24m2, knowing that the average size of a household is 7 people;

20. Provision of all affected schools with meal programs (PAM Products) to keep students at school, knowing that the crops have been taken away and the granaries burned down;

21. Application of all rights universally recognized and respected throughout the world.

2. REMARKS / OBSERVATIONS / RESERVATIONS

Political

1. General amnesty law;

2. Dialogue / Negotiations in a neutral country;

3. " Consultation" of Armed Groups for the choice of a Prime Minister.

4. Empowerment of Regions

5. Constitutional revision

signed representatives of:

RPRC Rassemblement Patriotique pour le Renouveau de la Centrafrique

FDPC Front démocratique du peuple centrafricain

ATB / MOKOM Anti-Balaka, Mokom faction

3R Retour, réclamation et réhabilitation

UFR-R Union des forces républicaines (fraction)

MPC Mouvement Patriotic Centrafricain

UPC Unité pour la paix en Centrafrique

MLCJ Mouvement des libérateurs centrafricains pour la justice

FPRC Front Populaire pour la Renaissance de la Centrafrique

SELEKA - RENOVEE Séléka Rénovée

ATB / PEN Anti-Balaka, National coordination of the ex-anti-Balaka, Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona

RJ / B Révolution and Justice (splintered, Belanga)

RJS Révolution and Justice (Sayo)

UFR Union des forces républicaines