With Central Africans set to vote in presidential, legislative, regional and long-delayed municipal elections this weekend, the United Nations has appealed for calm and restraint, warning that the credibility of the process will be critical to consolidating peace after years of conflict and instability.
Ahead of the 28 December polls, Secretary-General António Guterres called on all Central Africans to participate peacefully in the vote and urged authorities to ensure that the elections are conducted in a "peaceful, orderly, inclusive and credible manner," according to a statement issued on Wednesday by his spokesperson.
He also appealed to all political actors and stakeholders to refrain from actions that could incite violence or undermine confidence in the process, stressing the importance of safeguarding the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the electoral period.
Historic vote
Sunday's elections will be unprecedented in scope, combining four ballots - presidential, legislative, regional and municipal - across the country. Municipal elections, in particular, have not been held in the Central African Republic (CAR) since 1988 and are a key provision of the 2019 Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation.
The Secretary-General described their conduct as "an historic milestone in the peace process" and a critical step toward consolidating decentralisation and extending state authority beyond the capital.
A complex landscape
The Central African Republic has long grappled with armed violence, weak institutions and a limited state presence beyond the capital, Bangui.
Despite the 2019 agreement, insecurity persists in parts of the country, while conflict, fragile services and extreme weather continue to fuel a humanitarian crisis, with more than two million people in need of assistance and nearly one million displaced at home or abroad.
Vast, sparsely populated and landlocked, CAR is bordered by six countries and crisscrossed by dense forests, rivers and long, often impassable roads. Outside Bangui, many communities are reachable only by air or days-long journeys.
UN support for the electoral process
Mr. Guterres acknowledged the efforts of national authorities in preparing the vote and highlighted the role of the UN peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA , in supporting the process, in coordination with other UN agencies.
In recent weeks, MINUSCA has mobilised extensive logistical and security support to deploy electoral materials across the country, including to remote and hard-to-reach areas.
The mission transported ballot papers, indelible ink, voter lists and other sensitive materials from Bangui to nearly 4,000 voting centres housing about 6,700 polling stations nationwide.
MINUSCA deployed all aircraft and helicopters in its fleet to ferry election materials and personnel, escorted secure ground convoys, and provided temporary storage facilities for sensitive equipment in coordination with the National Elections Authority (NEA).
It further supported civic education and voter awareness campaigns, including on preventing electoral violence and promoting a code of conduct for political actors.
More than 2.39 million registered voters - including over 1.14 million women - are expected to cast their ballots.
