Link to article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/2/17/un-chief-car-peacekeeping-force-needs-3700-reinforcements
Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, recommends that the UN peacekeeping force in the Central African Republic (CAR) needs reinforcements. He specifically called for about 3,700 extra personnel. He made this decision because he believes that the country is at “critical juncture”.
Recent violence arose after the Constitutional Court denied the CAR’s former president, Francois Bozize, candidacy to run for president in December on grounds that he was morally unfit to be president. Because of this, President Faustin-Archange Touadéra won a second term.
In response, violence has arisen from groups that support Bozize. During the election season, these groups had taken control of various towns. Their actions included calling for people to not vote in the upcoming election.
The reinforcements called for by Guterres would aid the UN peacekeeping mission called the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). The UN Security Council must approve the deployment of any troops. The MINUSCA was formed to support the peace deal between the CAR’s government and local rebel groups. February 2021 marks two years that the peace deal has been in effect.
Following the recent unrest, the UN has called on local governments to implement reform in order to more effectively protect the citizens who have been affected by this recent political unrest.
The CAR has abundant natural resources, including timber and diamonds. Geopolitically, the CAR is important because of these resources. It is possible that the UN is helping to maintain peace because that is in the national interest of countries that play large roles in the organization.
The UN is an intergovernmental organization with the purpose of maintaining peace and security worldwide. The Security Council sent a peacekeeping force to the CAR with the goal of promoting democracy and human rights. In this way, the organization embodies aspects of the democratic peace theory; they believe that bringing democratic principles to the local government will help to inspire peace.