The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, June 9, turned its attention to Central Africa, a region that has increasingly received less focus in recent years despite ongoing security and governance challenges. The briefing was based on the latest periodic report presented by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ office, offering an overview of political, security, and humanitarian developments across the subregion.
Mixed Progress in Central Africa
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa Martha Pobee noted that Central Africa has made notable progress in recent years, particularly through the organization of key elections and the advancement of institutional reforms in several countries. However, she cautioned that the overall context remains fragile, pointing in particular to increasing restrictions on civil and political freedoms in parts of the region.
According to the UN assessment, one encouraging development is the growing role of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), which is increasingly seen as a promising framework for peace and regional stability.
The organization has been praised for its ambitious five-year strategic plan on drug control, as well as for its growing engagement on climate-related cooperation. France also highlighted these efforts, while stressing the need to further strengthen early-warning systems and community resilience mechanisms.
Growing Pressure from Regional Crises
Despite these positive steps, the United Nations warned that several parts of Central Africa continue to face severe security and humanitarian pressures, particularly in the Great Lakes region and areas north of Chad, which are heavily affected by the spillover of the conflict in Sudan.
The ongoing crisis has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, including an estimated 900,000 Sudanese refugees and around 300,000 returning Chadian nationals, placing significant strain on local resources and threatening social cohesion.
Security Challenges and Armed Groups
In countries such as Chad and Cameroon, civilians continue to face attacks from Boko Haram and other splinter armed groups. The UN stressed that military responses alone are insufficient to address the root causes of instability. Instead, it called on multilateral development banks to increase funding for stabilization programs aimed at supporting governance, resilience, and community recovery.
Concerns Over Democratic Space and Public Health
The report also raised concerns about a shrinking civic and political space in several countries, including Cameroon, Gabon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In addition to security and governance issues, public health remains a major concern, with the Ebola outbreak in the DRC still identified as a key priority for international attention.
The United Nations concluded that while progress is visible in some areas, Central Africa remains highly vulnerable to overlapping crises requiring coordinated regional and international responses.
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