BUJUMBURA, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Participants in the 61st Ministerial Meeting of the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa (UNSAC), held in the Burundian commercial capital of Bujumbura, have called for sustainable peace and resilient development in Central Africa.
The five-day event, which concluded on Friday, was organized under the theme "Strengthening Regional Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention, Mediation and Peaceful Resolution for Sustainable Peace and Resilient Development in Central Africa."
In his remarks, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, special representative of the United Nations secretary-general to the African Union (AU) and head of the United Nations Office to the AU, noted that the 61st UNSAC session marks 33 years of existence of a mechanism that has consistently supported Central African states in their pursuit of peace, security, and stability.
"Factors of tension persist within states of the region, in addition to new and constantly evolving challenges, including the terrorist threat, hate speech, disinformation, tensions related to electoral processes, and the effects of climate change," said Onanga-Anyanga. "All these challenges have repercussions for peace, security, and sustainable development in Central Africa."
Ezechiel Nibigira, president of the Commission of the Economic Community of Central African States, pointed out challenges facing Central Africa, including the persistent terrorist threats, the security situation in eastern DRC, and the presence of armed groups.
"The situation is worsening due to protracted security crises and recurring natural disasters. The region has nearly 12 million forcibly displaced people, making Central Africa one of the areas most affected by humanitarian crises globally," said Nibigira.
Following the closed-door session, a declaration of recommendations was read, which included a reaffirmation of the commitment to promoting a culture of peace, dialogue, tolerance, and the peaceful settlement of disputes, as well as calls for strengthened cross-border cooperation to combat armed and terrorist groups, secessionist movements, the illicit movement of weapons, human trafficking, and other organized crimes. ■