LM Report 2002

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

Key developments since May 2001: In June 2002, the President signed the law to accede to the Mine Ban Treaty. The CAR publicly stated for the first time that it has a small stockpile of antipersonnel mines for training purposes, but that it has never used, produced, or exported mines.

The Central African Republic has not yet formally acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty. However, in May 2002, the government’s focal point on landmine issues, Colonel Nassin Nicaise of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that a bill to accede to the treaty was before the National Assembly; it was subsequently reported that the National Assembly approved the accession law and the President signed it on 25 June 2002.^[1] This completed the domestic steps necessary for accession, however, as of 31 July 2002, the instrument of accession had not yet been officially deposited with the UN Secretary-General.

Because of conditions in the country after a mutiny in May 2001, the Central African Republic was not able to participate in the Third Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Managua, Nicaragua, in September 2001 or in the intersessional Standing Committee meetings in Geneva, in January 2002.^[2] However, the government did attend the Standing Committee meetings in May 2002.

Colonel Nicaise told Landmine Monitor that the Central African Republic has not used antipersonnel mines in the past, and that there was no reported mine use during the May 2001 mutiny.^[3] He confirmed, for the first time, that the Central African Republic has a very limited quantity of antipersonnel mines in stockpile, kept for training purposes only.^[4] Colonel Nicaise reported to States Parties that the Central African Republic has never produced or exported antipersonnel mines.^[5] He has also stated that the Central African Republic would never allow the transit of landmines through its territory or airspace,^[6] and that the government has found no evidence of transit of antipersonnel mines.^[7]

The Central African Republic was absent from the vote on UN General Assembly Resolution 56/24M on the Mine Ban Treaty on 29 November 2001. It is not a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), and did not participate in the third annual meeting of States Parties to Amended Protocol II of the CCW, or the Second CCW Review Conference, in December 2001.

Although the Central African Republic is not believed to be mine-affected, authorities are concerned about the risk of mines on its borders with Chad and Sudan. Joint military patrols have been organized with neighboring countries to minimize the risks.^[8] There are no reports of any mine victims in the Central African Republic.

[1] Statement by Col. Nassin Nicaise, Officer in Charge of Security Matters, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the intersessional Standing Committee Meetings, Geneva, 29 May 2002. “Adhesion de la Centrafrique a la Convention sur les Mines Antipersonnelles,” Agence France Presse, Bangui, 25 June 2002.
[2] Telephone interview with Col. Nassin Nicaise, Officer in Charge of Security Matters, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2 May 2002. Colonel Nicaise indicated the CAR would like to attend the Fourth Meeting of States Parties in Geneva in September 2002, but that financial support was needed. Phone interview, 12 February 2002.
[3] Interview with Col. Nassin Nicaise, Officer in Charge of Security Matters, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangui, 12 February 2002.
[4] Telephone interview with Col. Nicaise, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2 May 2002. He said he would contact the Army Chief of Staff and, if necessary, the military schools to get all the relevant information on the type and quantities of mines stockpiled.
[5] Statement by Col. Nicaise, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 29 May 2002.
[6] Interview with Col. Nicaise, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangui, 12 February 2002. Also, statement by Col. Nicaise, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 29 May 2002.
[7] Statement by Col. Nassin Nicaise, Officer in Charge of Security Matters, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the intersessional Standing Committee Meetings, Geneva, May 2002.
[8] Telephone interview with Col. Nicaise, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2 May 2002.

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