On Thursday 17 November, the EU will host a ministerial conference on behalf of the Central African Republic. This will take place in Brussels and will be used to mobilise the support of the international community to help the country.
The conference is being organised by the European External Action Service, the European Commission (DG International Cooperation and Development and DG Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management), in close cooperation with the Central African Republic's authorities. It will be co-chaired by High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, and Central African Republich President Faustin-Archange Toudéra, who was elected in March this year.
The conference seeks to encourage political support and concrete commitments from ministers and representatives of international organisations, in view of supporting the ambitious programme of the Central African Republic's government, which seeks to tackle the multiple challenges to be faced for developing peace, security and reconciliation, as well as to promote economic development and relief in the country (see EUROPE 11511).
The Central African Republic’s security remains fragile, its development hampered and the humanitarian situation worrying, following the conflict triggered in March 2013 by the overthrow of President François Bozizé and the inter-ethnic violence that drove the country to the edge of chaos. The end of the French SANGARIS operation to stabilise the country was made official at the end of October 2016. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)