Guterres says Indonesian troops could help pave way for eventual reduction of Central African Republic mission

UN Secretary-General António Guterres told Indonesian peacekeepers preparing to serve in the Central African Republic on 19 October that their work could help make a gradual reduction of the UN mission there possible. Speaking at Indonesia’s peacekeeping centre in Sentul, he described the country as “a success story that still needs to be completed”. His remarks were a conditional forecast, not an announcement of troop cuts. [1]

Guterres said nearly 2,000 Indonesian uniformed personnel were serving across seven UN missions, including the one in the Central African Republic. He did not give a departure date or size for the group he addressed. He also said he had laid a wreath for four Indonesian peacekeepers who died in Lebanon and offered condolences to their families. The fourth, Corporal Rico Pramudia, died on 24 April from injuries sustained in an incident on 29 March, according to an earlier UN statement. [1] [2]

In Sentul, Guterres said most armed groups in the Central African Republic had reached agreements with the government and were handing over weapons, while others remained outside the peace process. The African Union’s Peace and Security Council welcomed progress on voluntary disarmament in September but expressed deep concern about persistent insecurity in parts of the country’s border regions. It said any transfer of responsibilities from the UN mission, MINUSCA, should be gradual and dependent on conditions. [1] [4]

The UN Security Council has extended MINUSCA’s mandate until 15 November 2026. Its existing resolution envisages an eventual drawdown when conditions are met and calls for plans for a transition; Guterres’s speech did not turn that possibility into a decision to reduce the mission. [3]