EU considers sending troops – The civil society should not be excluded from the search for a way to peace

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) criticizes the fact that the civil society in the Central African Republic has been excluded from the search for a way to peace and a restoration of public order in the embattled country. "Anyone who wants to restore peace in the country, which is shaken by serious human rights violations and violence, must work with all the major political parties, NGOs and religious communities to try and find a solution for the conflict," said the STP's Africa-consultant, Ulrich Delius, in Göttingen on Thursday. "Instead, ten neighboring countries that are organized in the Central African Economic Community (ECCAS) have now excluded the civil society from a conference in N'Djamena (Chad), where a debate on the fate of the Transitional President Michel Djotodia will be held."

At the beginning of the week, the one-day conference was convened by the Government of Chad, which is trying to replace its hapless ally Djotodia. France is hoping for a quick change too, since the state order in the Central African Republic has broken down completely during Djotodia's assignment. "But the question is how sustainable peace can be achieved when all the important social and political representatives of the country are ignored or excluded from the meeting," warned Delius.

Still, there is no credible political concept for the rebuilding of a functioning state in the Central African Republic. Instead, Chad is trying to maintain its influence and to obstruct the necessary transformation of the African peacekeeping force MISCA to a United Nations blue helmet operation. "UN peacekeepers need to be deployed urgently in order to help the humanitarian aid workers access the 2.2 million people who are dependent on help from abroad.

Next Friday, the European Union will discuss a deployment of up to 1,000 soldiers. But the governments of the EU-countries are not particularly interested in a military operation, so it is questionable whether European soldiers will actively help to secure peace. "The EU should at least further its humanitarian assistance and support the process of reconciliation between the warring population groups and religious communities," said Delius. Yesterday, the United Nations had warned about new massacres and violent clashes between followers of different faiths.