Recommendations

These key survey results should be instructive to the Government of the Central African Republic, nongovernmental organizations, and other agencies as they develop policies to address the legacy of armed conflict in CAR. They are also a reminder that consulting the population and deepening our understanding of war-affected communities is essential to build a lasting peace.

The key recommendations to emerge from this study are:

To the CAR Government and Armed Groups

• Work together to implement the goals of the Inclusive Political Dialogue, including the effective disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration of combatants back into society and hold free and fair presidential elections. The citizens of CAR view combatant reintegration programs  and elections as integral steps for  building a lasting peace.
• Stop preying on the population and collecting illegal taxes at road blocks. These instill fear among the population, which in turns hinder their ability to carry on with their daily lives.

To the CAR Government

• Reform the security sector and remove perpetrators of serious crimes from their positions. The police and gendarmes must be trained and supported to fulfill their mandate of protecting, and not preying on, civilians.
• Bring those responsible for violations of human rights and international humanitarian law to justice. The government should support the judiciary to ensure that courts can operate independently and fairly.  This will help raise public confidence in the judiciary and supporting the rule of law.
• Give priority to the provision of basic services including education, health care, and transportation (e.g. road network).  

To the Civil Society and the International Community

• Put pressure on the government, political parties, and armed groups to ensure that elections and DDR processes are effectively implemented in a transparent, free, and fair manner.
• Provide sufficient financial and technical support to the electoral process to guarantee free and fair elections and ensure a peaceful transition.
• Work with the government to rebuild infrastructure and services and uphold the rule of law. The focus on humanitarian needs in the north should not prevent investment to address structural and chronic poverty in all of CAR. Respondents identified peace, employment, and basic services as priorities. If any of these are neglected, political and physical stability will be hard to establish and sustain.
• Engage with the population to address domestic violence and other forms of violence at the community level
• Continue to document violations of human rights and international humanitarian law and press for accountability.  The international community should continue to support civil society in its efforts to document human rights abuses and assist victims. The international community should also maintain a U.N. peacekeeping mission in CAR for the foreseeable future.  It’s presence will help guarantee a certain level of stability and allow for the completion of the DDR, the elections, and reform of the security sector.
• Work to develop a regional security strategy to address cross-border issues and lawless border zones.

To the International Criminal Court

• Continue and increase public information and outreach activities especially in the interior of the country.  The proportion of respondents who are aware of the ICC was relatively high, but there is still a great need to target groups with little or no access to media.
• Reconsider holding in situ proceedings in CAR, so long as the conditions of security permit.  The survey found strong support for local trials.
• Broaden the scope of investigations to include serious crimes committed throughout the country, especially in the North.
• Work with national institutions to ensure that the investigations contribute to establishing a historical record of the events in CAR.