UN renews Central African Republic mission, with smaller authorised force

The UN Security Council has renewed the mandate of its peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic for a year, while cutting the number of military personnel it is authorised to deploy and setting out a gradual transfer of some responsibilities to the government.

The council unanimously adopted resolution 2836 on 12 November, extending MINUSCA’s mandate until 15 November 2027. It authorised up to 12,000 military personnel, down from 14,046, alongside 2,265 police personnel and 40 corrections officers.

The resolution calls for the mission to concentrate resources in high-risk areas, particularly along borders, while retaining the ability to respond rapidly to protect civilians and support the extension of state authority. MINUSCA’s priority tasks include protecting civilians, deploying national security forces, supporting the peace process and facilitating humanitarian assistance.

The transfer of duties is to be gradual, sequenced and based on conditions on the ground. The council asked the mission and the Central African Republic’s government to distinguish between tasks that can be transferred progressively, those that require more capacity-building and those that should remain with MINUSCA. The UN secretary-general is due to report on implementation and transition progress in February, June and October 2027.

The vote follows an October appeal by MINUSCA chief Valentine Rugwabiza for the council to retain sufficient troops and operational capacity, amid concern about insecurity in the north-east and pressure on resources. She warned that violence near the Sudanese border could put fragile gains at risk.

After the vote, the Central African Republic’s representative welcomed the renewal but warned that insecurity persisted along the borders, particularly amid spillover from Sudan. He said a more targeted presence should not become an absence where people still need protection, and argued that responsibilities should transfer only when national authorities have sufficient capacity and resources.

France also cautioned that security gains remained fragile, particularly along the Sudanese border. The United States, while welcoming progress, said peacekeeping missions should work towards an end state and an orderly transition.