UN delegation arrived in Cameroun to assess the situation of victims

The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Central Africa, Mr. Abou Moussa, arrived in Yaoundé on Friday 7 Friday, as planned, for a one-week working visit. He was welcomed at the Nsimalen international airport by Mr. Innocent Meutcheye, Director A.i of Protocol and Consular Affairs of the Ministry of External relations. During his stay, Mr. Abou Moussa will meet with the authorities with whom he will exchange information on the crisis that is destabilizing the Central African Republic (CAR) since December 2012 and that was accentuated with the overthrow of Francois Bozizé by “Seleka" on 24 March 2013. On Monday 10 March, his agenda foresees a meeting with the Prime minister, Mr. Philemon Yang.

Before this important rendez-vous, Mr. Abou Moussa will hold meetings with members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of international organizations, including his colleagues of the United Nations system in Cameroon. Beyond political issues, the regional impact of the critical situation in CAR will occupy an important place in the discussions. He will reiterate the deep concern of the United Nations with regard to this drama and, in particular, its socio- economic and security consequences for neighboring countries. The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General will take this opportunity to discuss the situation in Chad where he carried out a similar mission in February.

Field visit to provide appropriate assistance

After Yaoundé, Mr. Abou Moussa and his delegation will undertake a field visit to Garoua-Boulaï, a town in the East of Cameroon that has a border with CAR. They will arrive in Garoua-Boulaï on 13 March, after a stop in Bertoua on the eve. This crucial step will allow the delegation to appreciate the realities on the ground, including the situation of refugees and internally displaced persons forced to leave the scene of clashes to find shelter in Cameroon. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 21,680 persons have been received in the East Region of Cameroon since January 2014, including 4,120 children aged 0 to 4 years. UN specialized agencies and their partners are mobilized to provide appropriate assistance to victims and to avoid a humanitarian catastrophy. Demands and expectations are becoming high while resources are limited. For example, the UNHCR needs more than $ 17 million to address, for a period of three months, the challenges posed by the influx of refugees from the CAR; totaling 130,187 people who arrived in Cameroon between December 2013 and March 2014.

The mission led by Mr. Abou Moussa will facilitate the development of a comprehensive and coordinated response to this serious situation. It is in this perspective that several organizations are included: the UN Regional Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the United Nations Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Central Africa (UNCHRD-CA), the United Nations Integrated Office for peacebuilding in CAR (BINUCA), the United Nations system in Cameroon, etc. Two experts represent the Secretariat of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).

Before leaving Yaoundé, Mr. Abou Moussa, also Head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), will hold a press conference. His programme foresees in the coming weeks, a similar mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Congo.