La situazione odierna in Sudan è a dir poco catastrofica, Il Sudan paese dell’Africa nord-orientale il terzo paese più grande dell’Africa è stato devastato dagli scontri scoppiati il 15 aprile 2023 tra due generali che guidano fazioni militari rivali. Più di sei milioni di persone sono fuggite, ma molte sono bloccate in zone di guerra e lottano per sopravvivere. L’agenzia alimentare delle Nazioni Unite afferma di aver ricevuto segnalazioni di persone che muoiono di fame in Sudan e che il numero di persone che soffrono la fame è raddoppiato nell’ultimo anno a causa della guerra in corso che taglia i civili fuori dagli aiuti milioni di persone sono colpite dal conflitto. Il WFP ha affermato in una nota che dispone di cibo in Sudan, ma la mancanza di accesso umanitario e altri ostacoli stanno rallentando le operazioni. “Gli aiuti salvavita non raggiungono coloro che ne hanno più bisogno e stiamo già ricevendo segnalazioni di persone che muoiono letteralmente di fame”, ha aggiunto. Dall’inizio della guerra in Sudan, quasi 18 milioni di persone in tutto il Paese stanno affrontando una fame acuta. Khartoum, la capitale, è stata devastata dalla guerra scoppiata il 15 aprile. Le battaglie si sono diffuse in tutta la città, con i combattenti che sparavano dai tetti e incendiavano gli edifici mentre gli aerei da guerra passavano sopra di loro. L’elettricità è discontinua e ci sono segnalazioni di stupri, saccheggi e rapine. L’altro centro del conflitto è a ovest, nel Darfur, una regione già devastata da due decenni di violenza, talvolta genocida.

It is election-time in Central African Republic, a fundamental step in the CAR healing process after years of civil war.

It seems there is no peace in Central African Republic. After a period of relative calm, new episodes of sectarian violence erupted in Bangui in which about 30 people died and nearly 100 got wounded. On Saturday, the recovery of a dead body of a Muslim man near a mosque triggered a heavy reprisal against a “Christian neighborhood” and an inevitable Anti-Balaka retaliation.

Central African Republic Crisis

Political violence has been a constant element in Central African Republic (CAR) history. Since 2012, after a 3 year civil war (2004-2007), the Country has been facing a new crisis. After 5/6 months of “gestation”, the actual crisis burst out in March 2013 when Muslim Séléka militias overrun CAR’s Capital (Bangui) forcing President Bozize to flee. In the following months, the crisis lost its early link with political fight and became a pure interreligious conflict: Muslims against Christians, Séléka militias against anti-balaka militias. The very victim of the conflict has been the non-fighting population. 

What happened to the European willingness to intervene in Central African Republic to solve the humanitarian crisis? Hard to say, but it seems that things are not going as they were intended to. On the 10th of February the European Union Council authorised the peacekeeping military mission EUFOR RCA[1] but nothing concrete has been achieved yet.

The European Union is ready to deploy a military mission (EUFOR RCA Bangui) in Central African Republic (CAR). The European Council unanimously reached the decision on the 20 of   January and the United Nation gave their approval eight days later.

On Monday, January 20, the European Union Council is going to held a meeting in Brussels having in the daily agenda the discussion about a potential mission in Central African Republic (CAR), theatre of a dramatic ethnic conflict insomuch as the United Nation has warned the international community about a genocide risk. 

Anyway, different key factor may play a role in defining EU political dialogue results.

Central African Republic (CAR) keeps falling into chaos, more than 1000 people have died, nearly one million have been driven from their homes, and both French and African Union peacekeepers are struggling in their attempt of restoring general order but they are failing so far. That is why France has called the European Union for a military intervention. At present, just few European countries (Belgium, Estonia, Poland) are helping France in her Sangaris operation providing tactical support, but is not being enough.  

French troops and African Union peacekeepers are currently failing in stemming violence episodes in Central African Republic (CAR), and that’s why, during 19-20 December European Council, Paris called the European Union to intervene, by force of arms and/or by budgetary support. The core of the French proposal is the creation of a multinational military force deployable within the African continent at the first signs of a crisis. Relying on such a political and military tool, if rightly planned, the EU will be able to skip the huge political and diplomatic procedure that usually foreruns a military operation. But being such a delicate matter, the whole debate has been postponed to the first 2014 European Council.  

A great humanitarian crisis is still erupting in Central African Republic. The whole Country has fallen into chaos and civilian population is the first victim of the ongoing clashes between the Christian and Muslim paramilitary militias. France has already intervened supporting an African Union peacekeeping mission but, at present, the 1600 French military units running Sangaris operation are far from reaching their goal: disarming the militias, bringing them to peace-talk and consequently restoring order and security.