An independent UN human rights expert said Wednesday that strengthening the justice system [press release] in the Central Africa Republic (CAR) is essential to achieving peace. Marie-Thérèse Keita-Bocoum was speaking before a conference on the CAR held in Brussels on Thursday. Also Wednesday the UN Security Council (UNSC) [official website] requested contributions [UN News Centre report] to aid in peacebuilding efforts. “Yes the situation of my country is difficult but it is not a lost cause. We call on you to give us the support needed to make the difference … we need your solidarity and help,” said [Guardian report] CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadera. The donations will aid in justice reform and work to destabilize armed groups currently occupying the CAR. The UNSC urges swift implementation [press release] of the recently signed initiatives including the National Strategy on Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration and Repatriation, the Internal Security Forces Development plan, the National Security Policy, and the National Reconciliation Strategy. The council reiterated the need to focus on addressing marginalized groups but also called on all Central Africans to refrain from taking actions that impede peace and stability.

The CAR has been in civil conflict since 2013 due to tension between the mostly Christian anti-Balaka militia and the predominantly Muslim Séléka, a rebel coalition responsible for the ousting of former president François Bozize. In October the UN warned [JURIST report] militant groups to cease their occupation of schools or face forceful eviction. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called [JURIST report] attention to the deteriorating human rights conditions surrounding the CAR’s criminal justice system in July. Earlier this summer UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon released [JURIST report] a report stating that there have been 269 verified human rights violations which have affected more than 900 citizens.