The Council of the European Union agreed Monday to establish a Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) civilian advisory mission in the Central African Republic by no later than spring 2020, in order to help calm violence caused by an on-going civil war, a press release stated
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th December, 2019) The Council of the European Union agreed Monday to establish a Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) civilian advisory mission in the Central African Republic by no later than spring 2020, in order to help calm violence caused by an on-going civil war, a press release stated.
The council gave the green light to the plans, and will first establish a core team to make necessary preparations in the Central African Republic. The Primary aim of the mission is to ensure that local security forces are accountable and coherent, the release stated.
"The aim of the mission is to support the reform of the internal security forces to enable the Central African Republic (car) authorities to mitigate the current security challenges in the country. EU experts will support the Ministry of the Interior and the internal security forces, the police and the gendarmerie, with the aim of helping in their deployment throughout the country," the release said.
The Central African Republic will be the third country, after Mali and Somalia, in which CSDP civilian advisory missions will be established.
Since 2012, a civil war between the Muslim-majority Seleka group and Christian militia known as the anti-balaka has waged in the Central African Republic. UN peacekeepers currently operate in the country, and violence continues despite a February peace deal agreed between 14 armed groups based in different regions.
In September, Human Rights Watch watchdog reported that fighting between the groups had destroyed 60 homes, and displaced 9,000 people in the Central African Republic province of Ouaka. According to the UNHCR, over 593,000 refugees have fled the Central African Republic since the outbreak of hostilities.
