While buoyed by the holding of combined presidential, legislative, regional and municipal elections on 28 December 2025, gains made in the Central African Republic in recent years are fragile and require international support to consolidate, the Security Council heard today.
Another central - and related - point of discussion this morning was the future of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). While the Council renewed its mandate on 13 November 2025, the United States delegation abstained from that vote while suggesting that the Mission's responsibilities be assumed by national authorities. While the liquidity crisis has affected MINUSCA in the intervening months, many speakers would praise its support for December's important round of voting.
"These elections - which included the first municipal polls held since 1988 - represented the most extensive electoral operations ever undertaken in the Central African Republic," said Valentine Rugwabiza, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for that country and Head of MINUSCA. This positive outcome results from sustained joint investment by the Government and MINUSCA to extend State authority and advance implementation of the 2019 Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic . She emphasized that MINUSCA's multifaceted support contributed to a secure operating environment during the electoral campaign and on election day - "including in most hotspot areas".
Turning to security, she said that, while conditions improved in the country's west and central regions, challenges persist in the north-east and south-east. In the latter - particularly in the Haut-Mbomou Prefecture - ongoing attacks target civilians and local authorities, and 21 voting centres could not open on election day. "The insecurity has also exacerbated intercommunal tensions and further constrained humanitarian access," she added. Meanwhile, in the north-east, the conflict in Sudan has driven thousands of refugees into Vakaga Prefecture. While MINUSCA is working in both prefectures to enhance civilian protection, she said its operating environment was affected by liquidity constraints.
On that, she reported that - at the same time it was required to provide multidimensional electoral support and conduct disarmament operations in multiple localities - MINUSCA advanced efficiency measures, forced strict expenditure controls and readjusted its footprint following a reduction of uniformed personnel. "These realignments have had an operational impact," she said. Stressing that the period following elections will be "decisive" for consolidating political, peace and security gains, she said MINUSCA will work to create the necessary conditions for the gradual, orderly transfer of its mandated tasks - "commensurate with the capacity of national institutions to assume them".
This, she concluded, will require joint planning with the incoming Government, unified Council support and the "financial resources necessary to implement MINUSCA's mandate".
Calls for Sustained, Predictable Funding for MINUSCA
"Looking ahead, we are optimistic," said Omar Hilale (Morocco), Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission, as he underlined Bangui's efforts to achieve a "paradigm shift" from protracted crises and aid dependency to a path of sustainable development. However, he stressed that significant international support is still required as the Central African Republic enters a critical phase. The current electoral cycle must be successfully completed, security sector reform is essential and MINUSCA - which is playing a central role - must retain the expertise needed to support a transition to national ownership.
Echoing these appeals to adequately resource MINUSCA, the representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, also speaking for Liberia and Somalia, observed that the Mission continues to implement its mandate and support national institutions despite significant financial constraints. Those constraints, she said, could "slow down MINUSCA's operations, limit the mobility of its forces and undermine its ability to carry out its priority tasks - including the protection of civilians". Urging sustained, predictable and adequate financing for peacekeeping operations, she stressed that this is "not optional".
Welcoming the Mission's electoral-support and civilian-protection efforts, France's representative pointed out that these achievements are "all the more remarkable, since [MINUSCA] is operating in a context of serious liquidity constraints that hamper its means to act". Similarly, the representative of the Russian Federation said that, despite MINUSCA's measures to optimize resources and staffing - "that were triggered, as we know, by a reluctance or unwillingness by individual payers to comply with their financial obligations" - peacekeepers are effectively carrying out their mandate. "Their efforts contribute to safeguarding the gains achieved and ensuring their sustainability," said Bahrain's representative.
"MINUSCA played an indispensable role throughout the electoral process," said the representative of Greece. The Mission also helped secure positive gains along the country's border region with Sudan, which he described as a "tangible achievement of UN peacekeeping". However, major challenges remain - including addressing the plight of children - which require more support. "We stand ready to help ensure that [MINUSCA's] current capacity is sustained in the months ahead," he said, noting the delicate post-electoral period to come. And while Bangui must ultimately assume ownership of its security, Latvia's representative said that, "for now, the support of MINUSCA remains indispensable".
Unreimbursed Costs Shift Peacekeeping Burden to Troop Contributors
While MINUSCA is a "success story of this Council", the representative of Pakistan - which contributes more than 1,200 uniformed personnel to the Mission - underscored that "indiscriminate financial cuts ultimately undermine both peacekeeping and the Council's core mandate". He also pointed out that troop-contributing countries have not been reimbursed for personnel costs since 30 September 2025 or for equipment since 31 December 2024.
Against that backdrop, he observed: "This essentially means that the troop-contributing countries - in addition to providing human resources and sacrifices - also continue to shoulder the financial burden of peacekeeping missions while having little to no say in mandate formulations, changes or drawdowns."
While noting MINUSCA's critical role in all key developments, the representative of the United States said that these successes "now necessitate a re-evaluation of the Mission's posture" - both to consolidate gains and ensure that responsibilities are transitioned to the Government. "As we look ahead, we must ensure that MINUSCA consolidates, ceases efforts that are no longer necessary and transitions responsibilities to [Bangui] or other appropriate stakeholders wherever possible," he said. He added: "The ultimate measure of success is to create conditions such that the Mission itself is no longer needed."
For his part, the representative of the Central African Republic stressed that recent events demonstrate that "any rushed transition brings about real risks for the stability already achieved". To illustrate, he noted that the temporary suspension of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes during elections was accompanied by an increase in security incidents in the west and central parts of his country. Against that backdrop, he stressed that the transfer of security responsibilities "must be part of a gradual process that is based on verifiable progress of domestic capacities". He went further: "A decision guided by conditions on the ground - and not by budgetary constraints - is the safest guarantee of a successful handover."
Without Equity 'Violence Will Continue to Replace Peace Agreements'
On the path forward, China's representative said that, following elections, "the priority must shift to strengthening national governance systems". Capacity-building support must be provided, and foreign investment is needed to help Bangui better leverage its natural resources, accelerate infrastructure growth and extend basic services to all its people. Speaking from her own country's experience emerging from conflict, Colombia's representative warned that, without equity, "violence will continue to replace peace agreements".
Panama's representative stressed that post-electoral consolidation requires dialogue, respect for the rule of law and sustained State presence at the local level. He also called for "efforts to combat impunity", voicing concern over persistent attacks by armed groups in the country's east and south-east regions. Relatedly, the representative of the United Kingdom - Council President for February - spoke in his national capacity to express concern over reports of human rights violations by security actors, urging accountability and that the Government "carefully consider its security partners".
And underlining the need to transform electoral outcomes into credible, effective institutions, Denmark's representative joined others in noting "historic gains" in women's representation at the local level. She stressed: "The faith placed by voters in this process must translate into a new political reality - one of responsive governance, increased legitimacy and greater stability."
Spotlighting the underfunding of the relevant humanitarian response plan and the reductions to MINUSCA's budget, she underscored that this is not the moment for either the Council or the international community to step back. "It is the moment to step in," she urged, adding: "We must now sustain the hope and progress that this milestone has created."
Complete Live Blog coverage of today's meeting can be found here .
