USA: Peace and Development in the CAR: A speech on by Catherine Samba-Panza Special report from Washington by Fatima K. Lamine WASHINGTON (LNC) — Arrived in Washington on Thursday on a three-day official visit, with a delegation of some dozen people, including Christelle Sappot, her own daughter, acting as her personal Head of Cabinet, Toussaint Kongo Doudou the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Florence Limbio, the Minister of Economy and International Cooperation or also Marguerite Samba Maliavo, the Minister of Health. Her personal Minister Counselor Jean-Jacques Demafouth, who previously should be part of it, was unable to go, because the US embassy in Yaounde had refused to grant him a visa. After being received in audience by Mrs Linda Thomas Greenfield, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs in the State Department, on the afternoon of Friday, she moved, as we announced it previously yesterday, at the invitation of the Brookings Institution and partners, to the Falk Auditorium here in Washington, to make a speech before an audience of Diplomats and officials, when Steve Bennet, the Chief operating Officer of the Brookings Institution gently called her. She spoke for about 35 minutes, before answering questions for another 30 more minutes. After having set the disastrous situation the Central African Republic is in, she defended her governments action, and highlighted what she called the four pillows, to help steer the country out of the deep crisis, asSECURITY and the REESTABLISHING THE STATE AUTHORITY THROUGH OUT THE TERRITORY OF THE COUNTRY, said as prerequisite, in order to relaunch the economy and organize the elections. Please head on to our site to check out the podcast of her full speech. Excerpts from her speech... As preamble: Chronicle instability, and repeated internal conflicts have gone on for two decades, and this plunges our people into a situation where all are very vulnerable. And since December 2012 the Central African Republic has been deeply shaken by one of the most serious crisis that it is ever known. Our people are now in a dramatic situation. Over 2,000 persons have been killed, twelve per cent of the population has been displaced, eight percent of our population have become refugees in neighboring countries [...] And people are unable, refuse to live together. There is a lack of security in our capital and in the provinces. ABOUT HER COMMITMENT In January this year, the Central African Republic was on the verge of imploding. There was widespread insecurity, and unprecedented axes of violence. There was also inter religious conflicts, massive violation of Human rights and people were displaced, internally and externally. In light of this catastrophic situation, the International Community came to our side. Nonetheless the challenges that we must face are tremendous. And in fact, each and every one of our people, more and ever, our continuing leaders, our leaders are these able to bring people together, and to provide reconciliation, to give back hope to each and every person. And so, I made the decision to ask the Transitional Council, if I could run for the position of President of the Transition. It was a very serious time, and we could not stand by, and do nothing. I fully understood the heavy responsibility that was soon wore upon me. And the Transitional Council voted for me. So that I could lead the Transition. I went committed myself to lead the transition, and to move forward with a new approach, aimed a reconciliation among all centrafricans, and to urge our brothers and sisters in Africa, who have been forced to live their homes, I urge them to come back, and live alongside their brothers and sisters in Central African Republic, as they did before. PROGRAM AND STRATEGY [...] In order to answer these challenges, upon my election, in January 2014, I have asked the government to set up a program to come out of the crisis. This is our emergency program that was implemented. This document is now a framework for dialogue and constitution with our stakeholders, in order to provide a system to my country. My vision, through this program, is to build, by twenty fifteen, a prosperous society, a united society living in security, peace, and respecting democratic values. This vision is based on my determination, to create the conditions, in order to reestablish peace, security, constitutional order and good governance. This program that has been road out, has a strategy bringing together, humanitarian action and early recovery, in order to strengthen the general objective of fighting against poverty, by bringing together, international institutions and communities, in order to overcome this crisis. The UN Forces deployed in our country, will provide support to these priority actions. DELEGATE PART OF NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY Within the framework of this dialogue, and the openness of the governance that will be open to all different stakeholders. As far as the elections are concerned, the electoral code was adopted on November 12, 2013. The different regulatory entities and, as the high council of communication has been set up as well in August. There is a strong will on behalf of the all of these institutions to organize these elections, (even if) under some constraints. We must of course, despite of these challenges of insecurity in some regions in the country, and of course a lack of financial means in order to finance these elections and to organize them. We must create the conditions, in order to ensure the return of displaced people and refugees. We must reinforce the protection of civilians and people working in humanitarian organisations. We must carry out actions that bring closer administration from the administrates. We must protect civilians and promote human rights. This is why, I have agreed to delegate part of National sovereignty to UN Mission MINUSCA that is present in order to reestablish peace. With the presence of MINUSCA since September 15, we will have the mechanisms in place very soon. We have focused on basic social services : health, drinking water, sanitation, education, and national communication on network. The majors that have been carried out aimed at enabling community recovery and capacity building for resilience of communities. This is why I decided that these services will be free of charge for vulnerable groups such as children and women. Disponible en Français © Septembre 2014 LNC
Posted on: Sat, 20 Sep 2014 04:55:21 +0000
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