Head Of UN Peacekeeping Mission In CAR Asks For Substantial Increase In Troops

The number of peacekeepers serving in the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) should be increased to support the mission's ability to deliver on its mandate, MINUSCA head Mankeur Ndiaye said on Thursday

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st January, 2021) The number of peacekeepers serving in the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) should be increased to support the mission's ability to deliver on its mandate, MINUSCA head Mankeur Ndiaye said on Thursday.

"We need a strategy to manage the mandate, a substantial increase of uniform troops and the mission," Ndiaye told the UN Security Council.

In less than a month, MINUSCA has lost seven peacekeepers since armed groups began their offensive against the car government of President Faustin-Archange Touadera.

Ndiaye said peacekeeping troops are currently deployed over extremely large areas and have limited ability to rapidly react and respond to attacks perpetrated by the Coalition of Patriots for Change and other armed groups.

Moreover, some areas have seen no MINUSCA presence for over a month since troops' withdrawal from there and have no state representation, Ndiaye also said.

"We need to increase our capacity in order to respond to this new threat, which is destabilizing the country even further," Ndiaye added.

The security situation in CAR has deteriorated after pre-election violent clashes between the forces backing Touadera and the supporters of his main rival and predecessor, Francois Bozize.

Prior to the election, the CAR was rocked by clashes between the rebel groups supporting Bozize and Touadera's loyalists. The CPC, comprising several rebel groups backing Bozize went on with targeting the capital of Bangui later in January, further plunging the country into the security crisis, also worsened by attacks on UN peacekeepers.