UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein [official profile] warned Monday of the deteriorating human rights situation [press release] in the Central African Republic (CAR) [UN materials]. “While 2016 began on a positive note, with the successful holding of elections in February, recent events in Bangui and in several other parts of the country make me fear a re-escalation of violence in the coming months,” Zeid stated. He called for the disarming of armed groups, restoration of the rule of law and protection of civilians. Zeid also called for restoring confidence in the justice system: “The steps taken by the authorities to establish the Special Criminal Court and the adoption of a new Constitution are promising, but I remain concerned at the large number of arbitrary arrests and detentions by security forces. … More resources and political will are needed to ensure proper justice for past and current crimes and human rights violations.”

Violence has persisted in the CAR since the predominately Muslim-based Seleka rebels ousted former president François Bozize [BBC profile] in March 2013. More than 400,000 people remain displaced due to the violent overthrow, with over a half million more people seeking refuge in other countries. Last month UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon [official website] stated there have been 269 verified human rights violations in the CAR. In February the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the CAR [official website] called for the CAR to address numerous human rights violations [JURIST report] stemming from an outbreak of violence in Bangui last year. In November UNICEF [official website] called for aid to approximately 1.2 million children distressed by conflict [JURIST report] in the CAR.