UN Mission in Central African Republic Nears Full Deployment: Official
22:32 09.12.2014(updated 23:17 09.12.2014)
A UN Peacekeeping official told the Security Council on Tuesday that the MINUSCA will achieve 80 percent of its full troop deployment and in January 2015.
UNITED NATIONS, December 9 (Sputnik) – The United Nations' stabilization mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) is nearing full deployment amid continued violence in the country, UN Peacekeeping official Herve Ladsous told the Security Council on Tuesday.
"This month, MINUSCA will achieve 80 percent of its full troop deployment and in January 2015, nine out of the ten authorized formed police units will be deployed, with the last police unit arriving soon thereafter," Ladsous said.
Ladsous' statements come amid continued violence and a jail-break in the country's capital Bangui last month.
Addressing the recent jail break, Ladsous recounted that "on November 24, inmates inside the Bangui central prison seized weapons and shot and threw hand grenades at UN peacekeepers, providing static guard duty outside the prison. Three UN troops and one UN police officer were injured in the incident. Both of these serious security incidents in the capital could have significantly escalated without robust efforts by MINUSCA".
In March 2013, militants from the Islamist Seleka rebel group overthrew the Central African government. Clashes between the Seleka insurgents and Christian militants known as Anti-balaka have since swept the country.
UN's MINUSCA mission was established by the Security Council in April 2014 and took over peacekeeping duties on September 15. The mission is largely made up from the African-led International Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA), which was previously responsible for peacekeeping in the region. In September, the peacekeeping force consisted of some 6,500 troops.
© Sputnik
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