Rabat – A Moroccan peacekeeper passed away on Friday after an attack on UN peacekeepers at the Obo aerodrome in the south-eastern Central African Republic.
The attack took place on Thursday morning during an UN-led operation to secure the perimeter of the airfield to allow planes to land.
The United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) noted that an investigation was immediately launched to unveil the exact circumstances of the attack.
The mission added that “any attack on the life of a peacekeeper may be considered a war crime under international law and subject to prosecution by national and international justice.”
“MINUSCA calls on the Central African authorities to make every effort to identify the perpetrators of this attack so that they can be brought to justice quickly,” the statement added.
The UN mission extended its condolences to the family of the deceased and to the Moroccan government and people.
An earlier attack in June took the life of two Moroccan peacekeepers in the south-eastern parts of the Central African Republic.
Attacks on the UN peacekeeping forces have been repeatedly reported over the past years, with some Moroccan blue helmets falling victim to the political instability and prevalent violence in the African country.
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The Central African Republic has been stuck in a vicious cycle of fragility and violence since the 1965 ousting of its first President David Dacko by army commander Jean-Bedel Bokassa. In 2016, the country restored hope with the peaceful election of Faustin Touadera after consecutive coup d’etats.
However, the democratic process alone was not enough to fully restore peace in the country. The repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, in addition to post-electoral violence, continue to undermine the country’s development and prosperity.
On November 14, the Security Council extended the MINUSCA mandate for another year, until November 15, 2023. The mission consists of 14,400 military personnel and 3,020 police.
France, the penholder on the CAR, led the mandate renewal process at the UN.
Commenting on MINUSCA’s renewed mandate, France’s Permanent Representative to the UN Nathalie Broadhurst stated that the resolution will “allow MINUSCA to continue its support for the peace process in the Central African Republic and encourage [local] authorities to continue their efforts to implement the Luanda road map, with the support of the regional organization and countries of the region.”
The roadmap adopted in Luanda, Angola, in October 2021, called upon the CAR government to declare a ceasefire between its security forces (FACA) and armed groups operating in the country.
As attempts to restore peace in the African republic persist, Morocco has called for a peaceful solution to the conflict by deploying diplomatic officials and peacekeepers.
There are currently over 1,700 Moroccan peacekeepers operating in UN missions in the CAR, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and South Sudan.
