The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) unanimously extended sanctions and the standing arms embargo on the African nation of Central Africa Republic for an additional twelve months. The renewal comes just days after controversial former president Francois Bozize announced that he is running in the country’s December presidential election.
The sanctions were imposed following a standing religious crisis in the country that has led to the internal displacement of over 1 million citizens. President Bozize is under sanctions for his role in the crisis, during which he is accused of supporting the Christian anti-Balaka militias.
In justification for extended arms embargo, the UN experts warned in mid-July that the prospect of this year’s elections has provided armed groups with another reason to maintain and increase their territorial control. The report pointed to an influx of foreign fighters, principally from Sudan, which shares a border with the northeast of the CAR and regularly sees inter-militia fighting. Two predominantly Fulani armed groups seek to extend their territory to maximize taxation of seasonal herders.
CAR has been rocked by violence since 2013 when mainly Muslim Seleka rebels deposed then-President Francois Bozize, prompting reprisals from mostly Christian militias. UN peacekeepers were deployed in 2014.
