Central African Republic UN mission extended by a year

The UN Security Council has voted unanimously to extend the mandate of its peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic by one year, while keeping a plan for a gradual transfer of authority to national authorities.

The mission, known as MINUSCA, was due to expire this weekend. It was deployed in 2014 during the country's civil war and has already begun scaling back numbers.

The resolution, tabled by France and adopted Thursday, lowers the authorised military strength ceiling from nearly 14,000 to 12,000, while keeping the police ceiling at 2,265. The change is not expected to cause a withdrawal of peacekeepers because current deployments are already below those limits.

A UN report published in October said the mission currently has nearly 10,000 military personnel and 2,000 police officers in the country.

The resolution recognises the reconfiguration of MINUSCA's presence to focus resources in high-risk areas, including border regions, the UN said. Armed groups remain active, especially near the borders with Chad, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Central African Republic still regularly suffers attacks by rebel groups opposed to the government, which is backed by the Wagner group and Rwandan forces. In June, gunmen attacked the Sudanese border town of Am-Dafock, killing 29 people, including seven civilians and 22 members of the security forces. Six UN peacekeepers were wounded and about 17,500 residents were displaced.

Fighting this year between government forces backed by Russia's Wagner paramilitaries and the Azande Ani Kpi Gbe militia in the southeast has also forced people from their homes. A UN report said more than 416,000 people were internally displaced by insecurity as of August 31.

President Faustin-Archange Touadera called last month for a “gradual withdrawal” of the UN mission, saying the Central African Republic should be able to take charge of its own security and preserve peace.