What follows is an oral intervention on the Central African Republic delivered by William Morris, NCF’s Secretary General to the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council for the High-level Interactive Dialogue on the human rights situation in the Central African Republic.
Madame President,
The Next Century Foundation is concerned at developments in the Central African Republic. This country has become a battleground between, on the one hand, the Forces of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic, together with the democratically elected government, supported by the Russian Federation, and on the other hand, an unlikely alliance of disparate militia forces, and the Government of the French Republic.
At stake are huge mineral resources. We frankly expect better of the government of France. Nor are we much enamoured by the behaviour of the United Nations, which goes far beyond a peace keeping role in so much as they hunt down the forces of the various warlords with the sometimes spurious claim that are protecting endangered civilians.
The international community should behave better. The deaths of ordinary citizens of the Central African Republic as a consequence of this internationally promoted civil war are unconscionable. Most especially since the principal driver of this war that endangers the lives of an impoverished people seems to be lust for the control of gold reserves that in normal circumstances might have made this the richest country in Africa.
