Briefing : Crisis in the Central African Republic and the international response

Abstract

Academic analyses of the prolonged crisis in the Central African Republic (CAR) and the international response to it are rare. This masks the depth of the crisis. The most recent outbreak of conflict alone, following a coup d'état staged by the Séléka rebels in March 2013, left countless civilians dead,1 more than half a million people displaced, and over half of the 4.6 million population in immediate need of aid.2 Several regional and international organizations, including the African Union (AU), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the European Union (EU), and the United Nations (UN), became involved in the process of crisis solution, with all of the organizations deploying troops to the CAR. Their efforts have thus far born limited results; fighting and human suffering continue.After a brief overview of the conflict, this Briefing documents and explores the international response to the current crisis, mainly covering the period between the Séléka's rise to power in March 2013 and April 2014, when the UN Security Council passed resolution 2149 to establish the UN operation MINUSCA (Mission multidimensionnelle intégrée des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation de la République centrafricaine). The Briefing specifically seeks to scrutinize relations between the various stakeholders involved in crisis solution, including international and regional organizations and individual states. It shows that there is competition between them for visibility, relevance, and control over the process, leading to strained relations between the key organizations, particularly between the ECCAS and the AU and between the AU and the UN. These strained relations in turn have led to delayed responses to the crisis and are only understandable through a consideration of the interests of the organizations' member states. Particularly interesting in this context are Chad and France, the two states with most influence over the CAR.