Securing Legitimate Stability in CAR: External Assumptions and Local Perspectives

Military and police peacekeepers serving with the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) patrol the Muslim enclave of PK5 in Bangui.

Military and police peacekeepers serving with the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) patrol the Muslim enclave of PK5 in Bangui. (Photo: UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe)

Researchers interviewed MINUSCA officials and more than 200 residents of four areas of the Central African Republic. Each locality provided a snapshot of residents’ impressions of the UN mission, the role of the state in providing security, the legitimacy of rebel groups and militias, and a lasting solution for peace. Respondents from unstable areas where UN peacekeepers are present wish to see MINUSCA exit and allow state armed forces to provide security. The vast majority of interviewees condemned the rebels—as well as anti-balaka forces—who they cite as the source of local instability. Little alignment exists between the framework of the Khartoum Agreement and citizens’ desires.

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