Highlights
• Presidential and parliamentary elections, hoped to usher in stability in the Central African Republic, took place peacefully on 30 December after being postponed from 27 December.
• The total number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) stands at 469,307 as of 30 November, including 55,189 people in 30 sites in Bangui. As of December, an estimated 25,000 minorities are stranded in seven different enclaves countrywide: Bangui PK-5 neighbourhood (15,000); Boda (8,374) Carnot (523); Yaloke (229); Bouar (1,200); Dekoa (115) and Berberati (425).
• On 9 December, the Ministry of Education and UNICEF launched EduTrac, the innovative school data collection system with SMS messages. This real-time data collection service is currently operational on all four mobile telecom networks across the country, an important contribution to collecting school data from hard-toreach regions.
• UNICEF provided essential supplies (1,845 cartons of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food and 63 cartons of therapeutic milk) through its suboffices in some of the most remote parts of the country (enclaves and isolated areas including Dekoa, Bambari, Batangafo, Bozoum, Bouar, Mbaiki, Boda, Berberati and Kouango) to cover the treatment of 2,096 children with severe acute malnutrition.
• During the reporting period, 104 children including 11 girls were released by three armed groups affiliated with an Ex-Seleka coalition in Bria and with Anti-Balaka in Bangui. Almost half of these children have been placed in foster families, and the rest have been reunified with their families.
• With UNICEF support, 100 m3 of water a day was provided to 7,000 displaced persons at the Evêché site at a ratio of 14 litres per person per day. UNICEF also supported the National Water and Sanitation Authority to repair 12 pumps, reaching 6,000 persons in Zemio and surrounding villages with safe drinking water.
• The Rapid Response Mechanism reached 6,199 persons with plastic sheeting, blankets, soap, buckets, plastic mats and mosquito nets in Ouham, Sangha-Mbaere and Nana-Gribizi prefectures.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
Several incidents of attacks against civilians were reported during the course of the month in Nana Grebizi, Ouham, Nana Mbaere, Ouaka, Ombella M’poko. Of particular concern are reports of assaults in IDP camps at night, particularly in Ngakobo, Galabourouma, Batangafo, which resulted in violence against women and children, separation of families, property damage and looting, and loss of livelihoods.
During the reporting period, protection incidents and serious human right violations stemmed from clashes and conflict between armed herders and local communities in transhumance corridors in Ouham, Ouham Pende, Mambere Kadei, Nana Mambere, Nana Grebizi and Ouaka provinces. The latest reports indicate that during the last transhumance season, about 50% of incidents were linked to clashes between herders and armed groups or bandits.
The total number of IDPs stands at 469,307 as of 30 November, including 55,189 people in 30 sites in Bangui. Minority groups continue to be trapped in various enclaves countrywide. As of December, an estimated 25,000 people (primarily Muslims) are stranded in seven different locations: Bangui PK-5 neighbourhood (15,000); Boda (8,374) Carnot (523); Yaloke (229); Bouar (1,200); Dekoa (115) and Berberati (425).
Voting for the constitutional referendum took place on 13 December as scheduled. The situation remained calm throughout the country; in major cities including Bangui, Bouar, Bambari, Paoua, Bria, the population responded positively and casted their votes. Tensions were reported in some identified hotspots, including the 3rd and 4th districts of Bangui, and in Bossangoa, Kaga Bandoro, Ndele and Birao. Delays and disturbances were experienced in the distribution of the electoral materials in some remote areas due to insecurity. According to partial election results announced by the National Electoral Authority (NEA) on 18 December, 90% of voters are in favor of the new constitution. On the same day, the electoral body issued a final list of validated legislative candidates: of 1,790 registered candidacies, 1,613 were retained for 140 electoral districts.
Presidential and parliamentary elections, originally scheduled for 27 December, were postponed to 30 December due to logistical challenges and late preparations. Ballots for the elections, printed abroad, arrived in Bangui at the end of the month and their distribution to all polling stations was delayed due to logistical and access constraints.
However, on 30 December, turnout was heavy among the almost 2 million registered voters, nearly 40% of the population. Stores and offices were largely closed so that workers could cast their ballots, a process that took hours. The voting was largely free of violence, though logistical problems persisted, resulting in the delayed arrival of some election materials and voter registration cards with inaccurate information.
On 15 December, the rebel leader Nouredine Adam, chief of the Front Patriotique pour la Renaissance de la Centrafrique (FPRC), proclaimed an autonomous state in the country's north, just days after threatening violence against those voting on the constitutional referendum. The declaration called the new territory the Republic of Logone. However, Adam retracted his statement a few days later, claiming to pledge his full support for the democratic process in CAR.