Central African Republic: UN expert to assess escalating human rights violations

GENEVA/BANGUI (8 June 2018) – The UN Independent Expert on the human rights situation in the Central African Republic, Marie-Thérèse Keita Bocoum, will undertake an official visit to the Central African Republic (CAR) from 12 to 22 June 2018.

Following a call for calm and restraint in the CAR due to recent deadly attacks in the capital Bangui and in the town of Bambari, the independent expert intends to assess the human rights situation and protection issues due to the deterioration of the humanitarian situation.

She will examine the efforts deployed to bring all stakeholders back to dialogue and reconciliation, and to avoid renewed hostilities.

Keita Bocoum also intends to consider the progress made regarding to transitional justice since her last visit in February. She will focus on prosecution and truth-seeking activities that are essential to the path towards peace. She also intends to inquire about the reparations programmes for the victims of the Central African crisis.

This visit takes place in a national context where the state authority continues to be altered by public messages that may incite hatred, violence and discrimination and that are likely to endanger the national security, cohesion and unity.

During her 10-day mission, Keita Bocoum will meet with the Government, legislative and judicial authorities, civil society and victims' associations, non-governmental organisations, the diplomatic corps and the United Nations.

The Independent Expert will report on her missions during the next session of the UN Human Rights Council early July 2018.

ENDS

The mandate of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic was established by the Council of Human Rights on 27 September 2013. Ms. Marie-Thérèse Keita Bocoum, a former professor at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire, held various positions both in Côte d’Ivoire and in the UN. She was Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burundi, Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to UNOWA, as well as Director of the Division of Human Rights and the Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Darfur.

The Independent Experts are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

UN Human Rights, country page: Central African Republic

For more information and media requests, please contact:
In Bangui (during the visit): Rosalie Billault (rbillault@ohchr.org) or write to ie-car@ohchr.org

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts please contact:
Jeremy Laurence – Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / jlaurence@ohchr.org)  

This year is the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN on 10 December 1948. The Universal Declaration – translated into a world record 500 languages – is rooted in the principle that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” It remains relevant to everyone, every day. In honour of the 70th anniversary of this extraordinarily influential document, and to prevent its vital principles from being eroded, we are urging people everywhere to Stand Up for Human Rights: www.standup4humanrights.org.