UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Committee Simulation Committee Simulation Warm greetings, esteemed delegates. It is my honor to welcome all of you to the University of Connecticut’s 18th Model United Nations conference. I am Moi Ibrahim and it is a great pleasure to be serving as director for the UN Security Council. Model UN requires diligent commitment in order to not only push the program further but to reap personal benefits in but not limited to public speaking and researching abilities. It is also a great way to stay informed about current global affairs in this ever-­‐globalizing world. Overall, it will add breadth to your knowledge and depth to your analyses. The Security Council is one of toughest committees in the UN. With only 15 members involved, each allowed one vote; its main responsibility is the maintenance of international peace and security. The council is also known for handling topics that threaten the peace through their ability to impose sanctions and authorize force. Lastly, the Security Council plays a big role on the judges that get appointed to the International Court of Justice. I’m a sophomore currently majoring in Anthropology and will be majoring in Communications soon. I started Model UN in 8th grade as a note passer and ended as the president of the Model UN club during my senior year of high school. I was fortunate enough to take part in international conferences as well as several domestic ones. I hope that this will be a good term for Model UN and that you will be able to learn much from the experience, as well as enjoy your time and make some new friends. Moi Ibrahim UCMUN 2016 UNSC Director [email protected] UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Committee Simulation Committee Simulation Committee History The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is considered to be one of the principal bodies of the United Nations. Established after World War II, it was entrusted with the responsibility of “maintenance of international peace and security” and held its first meeting on January 17th, 1946. The Security Council consists of 15 members that are categorized by their permanence of their seat in council. There are ten non-­‐permanent members who are chosen and changed every two years on a regional basis. The remaining five are permanent members and they were the victors of World War II: The French Republic, The People’s Republic of China, the United States of America, the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. These five members hold the ability to veto. With this large task at hand, the Security Council has many powers. It has authority to initiate peacekeeping missions when there is a large threat and has deployed such missions in Sudan, Cambodia, Bosnia and more. The UNSC is also capable of approving new members into the UN and making or approving any changes made to the UN Charter. UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Committee Simulation Committee Simulation Works Cited "Security Council, SC, UNSC, Security, Peace, Sanctions, Veto, Resolution, President, United Nations, UN, Peacekeeping, Peacebuilding, Conflict Resolution, Prevention." UN News Center. UN, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2016. "The UN Security Council." United Nations Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2016. UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Committee Simulation Committee Simulation Committee Simulation Role of Delegates Delegates should enter the meeting with a clear head in order to stay focused on the topics at hand and follow parliamentary procedures diligently. The delegates should come with an open mind but also remain true to their country’s role and this will result in a realistic and fruitful debate. It is easy to clash heads during debate but it is important not to take things personally. This provides a serious and hospitable platform in order to engage in the policymaking process. Delegates are expected to be knowledgeable on their positions and the MUN procedures. Role of the Dais The Dais is required moderate the debates and to provide order to the meeting. It is the Dais’s duty to try to progress the Council forward by affecting procedure and work in an objective and equitable fashion. It is also their duty to provide any assistance or guidance when necessary to any of the delegates or to the Council as a whole. UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Topic A: International Peace and Stability Jeopardized by Terrorist Acts Introduction “The attacks in Jordan, just like those before it in Indonesia, Egypt, Spain and the United States, demonstrate that terrorism does not discriminate by race, ethnicity or region. Instead, terrorists indiscriminately target those seeking to live a peaceful, loving and free life.” (Allyson Schwartz). Terrorism is very ongoing today, affecting the world and it has been threatening communities globally for a very long time now. Historically, terrorism has been carried out by rogue forces out of the government’s control. However, more recently, governments have been contributing a heavy hand with terrorist groups in order to further advance their own political agendas because “terrorists have adopted the concept of total warfare — they recognize no civilian noncombatants” unlike the government’s conduct of war (. There are many different types of terrorism but state-­‐
sponsored is one of the most rampant ones today. Even state-­‐sponsorship has many different forms that it takes on; sometimes governments will supply arms, training grounds, safe havens and even financial support to terrorist organizations while others simply hire them as mercenaries (Encyclopedia). Supporting terrorist groups can also come in the form of governments acting passively by not taking any action against them (Encyclopedia). Several oppressed groups, especially ethnic minorities, suffer greatly from state-­‐
sponsored terrorism as there is no one to turn to on a federal level. They’re constant persecution will lead to them picking up arms and combating this oppression, which in turn only leads to more bloodshed. UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Topic A: International Peace and Stability Jeopardized by Terrorist Acts Topic History Terrorism has been around for centuries and has been immersed in politics just as much as religion has. There is evidence of state-­‐sponsored terrorism dating back to the 12th century in Persia, where a group called the “Assassins” worked for money to kill Christian Crusaders (Bingley). This group was put to use in order to further advance a bigger political agenda set forth by the Persian Empire. It was during the French Revolution in the 18th century that the term “terrorism” came along (Terrorism Research). The word was derived originally as a result of the “Reign of Terror”, when extremists were trying to cleanse France of non-­‐fundamental ideals. In the early 20th century however, terrorism took on a more global scope and resulted into a massive war that led the world into one of it’s more brutal times. In 1914, terrorist groups in Bosnia were terrorizing Austrian citizens which eventually led to the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which initiated World War I (Bingley). After this period, the world saw the rise of several terrorist movements coming in the form of independence movements, such as the Loyalist movement in Ireland (Bingley). This group would use homemade bombs and attack civilians in public settings. At a time of increased nationalism, radicalization took place with several fundamental political or religious groups (Terrorism Research). Terrorism’s objectives have changed from earlier times and during its transition in the 1950s, it attempts to force political change against its own government; this intensified in the 1970s. Most of these anarchist groups carried extremist left-­‐wing ideologies and aimed at spreading them at any cost (Bingley). One of these groups includes the “Red Brigade” in Italy, who would commit acts of terror to draw attention to their ideas; they even kidnapped and killed a former prime minister (Bingley). UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Topic A: International Peace and Stability Jeopardized by Terrorist Acts Violence has always been popular amongst terrorist groups The late 20th century was a time of many major changes in the political frontier. Terrorists were even more motivated by either “political, ideological or separatist causes” (Bingley). The two World Wars left an everlasting impact on the world. Two of the main consequences resulting from World War I and II was the rise of nationalism and severe damage to international legitimacy (Terrorism Research). Increased nationalism became an ever more powerful force amongst people who were subjected to colonial powers (Morgan). The development of state-­‐sponsored terrorism was coupled by the fast development in military technology which gave terrorist and extremist groups an added leverage against nation-­‐states (Terrorism Research). With the rise of the internet, many terrorist groups have been exploiting this new tool to their own advantage, since many people use the internet and can be exposed to media with increasing ease. With a few clicks there’s access to millions of people as your target audience; just some qualifications of an almost ideal recruiting grounds. In 1998, the number of websites with terrorist material on it was a mere 12 compared to 2015 which reached a grand sum of 9,800 (InfoSec). Use of the internet is also inexpensive, so propaganda can be efficiently spread without the financial stress. They are now able to spread their terror with a newfound ease on social media accounts, adding to their propaganda. However, besides the propaganda and mobilization/recruitment of people, the internet is a great place to fundraise and gather information (InfoSec). All the services of the dark web are open to them so making fake identification cards and other important documents is not a hassle. Also being able to communicate online without a trace is more appealing for donors as their image for UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Topic A: International Peace and Stability Jeopardized by Terrorist Acts diplomacy, will remain unmarred. State-­‐sponsored terrorism is very much active today and it has been the cause of several political upheavals. The death of innocent civilians is usually the main repercussion but many political and especially economical consequences result from terrorism too. Current Status and Bloc Positions State sponsored terrorism is extremely tied with politics, which implies it having different interpretations from state to state. For example, the United States of America recognizes Hezbollah as a terrorist faction while as some Muslim nations (Sudan for example) will recognize it as a legitimate ruling political party. With that in mind, Pakistan and India have both accused each other of supporting terrorist groups who have led attacks on the opposite nation. India along with Sri Lanka, have been accused by Pakistan for training and providing firearms to the Sri Lankan Tamil group which ended up becoming infamous with their serious attacks (Colombo Gazette). Additionally, India’s Research and Analysis Wing has been accused supporting the nationalist/separatist movement called Al Zulfiqar, which was behind several terrible attacks along with the one of the nation’s worst cases of plane hijacking (National Consortium). On the other side of the coin, Pakistan has been accused of assisting several different terrorist movements against India as well. The Pakistani government allegedly has very strong ties to the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front, a strong nationalist movement in India (Rediff). Furthermore, according to a few reports, the Pakistani military has been providing support secretly to several different terrorist groups in Kashmir, including the infamous Al-­‐
UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Topic A: International Peace and Stability Jeopardized by Terrorist Acts Qaeda affiliate, Jeish Mohammed (Kaplan et al). However, Pakistan played a big role in the capturing Osama Bin Laden in 2011 but this however raised suspicion. The head of Al-­‐
Qaeda’s safe haven was only about a mile away from a national military base (Gall). With the increasing tensions in Syria, several nations have increased funding into the war stricken state by sponsoring different rebel groups. Turkey has been alleged to be involved with several of the extremist groups trying to seize control, particularly Al-­‐Nusra Front, Free Syrian Army and the Army of Conquest. Turkey’s at a very strategic location in relation to the conflict, it shares the northern border of Syria, thus allowing direct contact to forces and efforts within the troubled nation. As the conflict increased, Turkey displayed more hostility towards the Assad regime and started giving more support to rebel forces and opposition movements. Turkey has given a large amount of weaponry and firearms to several groups, especially developing the arsenals of Ahrar ash-­‐Sham and the Islamic Front (Chabkoun). Additionally, Turkey provided them with safe havens and military training around Syria’s northern border. The crisis in Syria has also spurred the Iranian state to increase involvement in the region. Historically, Iran has been considered one of the “most active state sponsor[s] of terrorism” (Encyclopedia of Terrorism). The country has very strong ties to Hezbollah by means of funding and training. They helped establish the political group which is currently recognized by most nations and groups to be a terrorist organization even though they are a political party in their nation, Lebanon (Encyclopedia of Terrorism). However, it is important to note that European Union only regards the Hezbollah Military Wing as a terrorist organization (U.S. Department of State). Their involvement with Hezbollah is mostly based on them following Shia’a Islam and their anti-­‐Israeli standpoint (U.S. UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Topic A: International Peace and Stability Jeopardized by Terrorist Acts Department of State). Sudan has been a state-­‐sponsor of terrorism for almost two decades now but as of 2003, their cooperation with the United States of America to diminish terrorist activity has increased (U.S. Department of State). A few terrorist organizations within the country have been wiped out however, their support of the Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) has not waned whatsoever. Questions to Consider 1. Has your country been impacted by terrorist actions? 2. What policies does your country employ in regards to terrorism? 3. How has your country responded to terrorist acts in the past? 4. How does your country relate to or differ from the policies of neighboring countries? UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Topic A: International Peace and Stability Jeopardized by Terrorist Acts Works Cited "Allyson Schwartz." BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2016. 4 July 2016. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/allysonsch332410.html "Big, Allied and Dangerous (BAAD)." START.umd.edu. National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2016. Bingley, Richard. Terrorism. Chicago, IL: Raintree, 2004. Print. Chabkoun, Malak. "Syrian Revolution's Path after Attacks on Ahrar Al-­‐Sham." -­‐ Al Jazeera Center for Studies. Al Jazeera Media Network, 17 Sept. 2014. Web. 11 Sept. 2016. Chandra, Ramesh. "Western European Perspective." Terrorism in Europa and European Strategies. Delhi: Kalpaz Publ., 2003. N. pag. Print. "Early History of Terrorism." Terrorism Research. Terrorism-­‐Research Inc., n.d. Web. 2 July 2016. Foreign Terrorist Organizations." U.S. Department of State. U.S. Department of State, n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2016. Gall, Carlotta. "What Pakistan Knew About Bin Laden." The New York Times. The New York Times, 22 Mar. 2014. Web. 11 Sept. 2016. Indridason, I. H. "Does Terrorism Influence Domestic Politics? Coalition Formation and Terrorist Incidents." Journal of Peace Research 45.2 (2008): 241-­‐59. Web. 3 July 2016. "Introduction to State-­‐Sponsored Terrorism." Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam Research, 2006. Web. 4 July 2016. Kaplan, Eben, and Jayshree Bajoria. "The ISI and Terrorism: Behind the Accusations." Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, 04 May 2011. Web. UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Topic A: International Peace and Stability Jeopardized by Terrorist Acts 11 Sept. 2016. Metz, Steven. "Fear of Terrorism Is Pushing U.S. Politics to a Point of No Return." Fear of Terrorism Is Pushing U.S. Politics to a Point of No Return. World Politics Review LLC, 07 Apr. 2016. Web. 3 July 2016. Morgan, Matthew J. "The Origins of the New Terrorism." No End To War : Terrorism In The Twenty-­‐First Century (n.d.): 29-­‐42. Http://strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/. 2004. Web. 2 July 2016. "Overview of State-­‐Sponsored Terrorism." Encyclopedia of Terrorism (n.d.): n. pag. Web. 11 Sept. 2016. "'Pak Feared Exposure of Militant Camps'" 'Pak Feared Exposure of Militant Camps' Rediff India Limited, 16 Oct. 2005. Web. 11 Sept. 2016. "Pakistan Senate Accuses India of Funding the LTTE." Www.colombogazette.com. Colombo Gazette, 12 June 2015. Web. 11 Sept. 2016. "The Politics of Fear." The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 07 Apr. 2005. Web. 3 July 2016. "The Role of Technology in Modern Terrorism -­‐ InfoSec Resources." InfoSec Resources The Role of Technology in Modern Terrorism Comments. Infosec Resources, 03 Feb. 2016. Web. 3 July 2016. UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Topic B: Alleviating Tensions in the Central African Republic Between Armed Groups and Communities Introduction Formerly known as Ubangi-­‐Shari, The Central African Republic (C.A.R.) is a landlocked country who gained their independence from France in 1960 (BBC News Timeline). Additionally, the country has been victim to severe deforestation along with endangerment of species due to poaching. Since the country’s freedom, its population has increased to 4.6 million people and its land area remains about 623,000 kilometers squared (CIA World Factbook). The “backbone” of CAR’s economy is based on the 60 percent rural population and consists of forestry and mining along side subsistence agriculture (CIA World Factbook). Agriculture accounts for over 50 percent of the country’s GDP, although diamonds and timber export account for the most earnings, seceded by cotton. With over 80 different ethnicities and rather evenly distributed religions, coupled with an urban population of 40 percent, there are bound to be disputes among the population (CIA World Factbook). Ever since its conception, the people of CAR have been victims of unstable and unjust systems of governance. This is a common trend amongst nations that are colonized seeing as it leaves an everlasting social and economic effect. Colonialism’s impact was still prevalent and the oppression of minority groups, unequal distribution of resources, maintenance of colonial boundaries and the encouragement of ethnic contention attest to it. African leaders were also not given any governing experience or founded institutions to help keep things in order. Because this new government was still very malleable, it was susceptible to unrest. UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Topic B: Alleviating Tensions in the Central African Republic Between Armed Groups and Communities Topic History It is known that the Central African Republic was an occupied region since the past 8,000 years by the ancestor’s of the indigenous Pigmy people. The segmented region then erupted with a lively slave trade that only ended after the annexation from France. This also established borders to what was known as the Federation of French Equatorial Africa in the late 1800s (BBC Timeline). In the 1890s, France began setting up extraction institutions, in order to attain the natural resources as well as enforcing manual labor (BBC Timeline). Due to the cultural pluralism of the region, France favored certain ethnic groups and left out others. This disrupted the peaceful living they have grown accustomed to in order to gain an advantage over certain natural resources (Hoogstraten). This led to the beginning of several violent protests from the people due to these concessionaires and colonial favoritism. The violent uproars led to the representation of Ubangi-­‐Shari in the French parliament by Barthelemy Boganda, founder of the Social Evolution Movement of Black Africa (MESAN). Being a nationalist politician, he wanted to decolonize the nation and: to promote the political, economic and social evolution of black Africa, to break down the barriers of tribalism and racism, to replace the degrading notion of colonial subordination with the more human ones of fraternity and cooperation…[and] aims to develop and liberate the black race by progressive and pacific evolution, achieved by the combined efforts of all negroes throughout the world. Each ethnic or administrative group, each family, clan or tribe, each district, UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Topic B: Alleviating Tensions in the Central African Republic Between Armed Groups and Communities region, division, province or department, each territory, each federation, will organize its own branches, federations and committees (Kalck). Boganda passed away one year before the independence of Central African Republic but his nephew, David Dacko, became provisional president (BBC Timeline). Shortly after his new presidency, in 1962 Dacko transformed the new nation into a single-­‐
party state; this marked the beginning of a failed democracy (BBC Timeline). This was the beginning of the nation’s long trials with unjust systems of governance that has led to its current unstable state. In order to gain absolute control, Dacko claimed the title of Keeper of Seals and Ministry of Defense as acting president and amended the constitution to support his new single-­‐party regime (Kalck). Dacko won the first elections of the country in 1964 where he was the only candidate at a time the country was facing bankruptcy and civil unrest (BBC Timeline). After succeeding in building a diamond-­‐cutting factory, he discontinued the laws enabling the French concessionaires monopoly over the diamond extraction in the country, allowing any citizen to mine (Kalck). This legacy lives on today because diamond remains to be the country’s most important export product (CIA World Factbook). However, shortly after being elected, he was overthrown by Jean-­‐Bedel Bokassa, the same man he appointed as head of arms in 1965 on new year’s eve (BBC Timeline). Bokassa took advantage of the country’s fragile economic state and the people’s harbored emotions to swiftly take charge with a military coup (Moran). According to path dependence theory, this paves the road for more instability in governance by making military coupes and sudden transitions in government a normal event. Initially, Bokassa distinguished himself in the French conflict that took place in the Indochina region, he rose in ranks to become a captain. Shortly afterwards, he was summoned by Dacko to become UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Topic B: Alleviating Tensions in the Central African Republic Between Armed Groups and Communities the head of arms; a position he used to overthrow Dacko (Kalck). In his 7th year of presidency, he declares himself president for life, only to change his title to emperor four years later in 1976 (BBC Timeline). The National Assembly was disassembled, the constitution was negated and all crucial government posts were taken by him and this marked the era of the new Central African Empire. Bokassa was known for raising terror and making quick irrational decisions (Moran). He monitored the execution of over a hundred school children who refused to buy school uniforms from one of his wives’ textile manufacturing companies (Gladstone). He was also notorious for his coronation ceremony which cost around $80 million today, leaving the country’s financial state even Figure 2.1: Emperor Bokassa and his crown. Source: Getty Images. more fragile than it already was (Gladstone). After Bokassa bankrupt the country through embezzlement and corruption, David Dacko received the blessings and aid of France to oust the emperor in hopes to restore democracy and influence over the region (BBC Timeline). However, around two years after Dacko’s reinstatement, he was overthrown by general Andre Kolingba. This birthed further racial rivalries because Kolingba’s ethnic group, the Yakoma, started attaining many positions in the public and private sectors even though they made up only four percent of the population (CIA World Factbook). After almost exactly twelve years in office, Kolingba was overthrown by Francois Bozize’s second coup d’etat attempt in 2003. UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Topic B: Alleviating Tensions in the Central African Republic Between Armed Groups and Communities Current Status After Bozize’s newly acclaimed presidency, the country began awaiting changes. After dissolving the parliament and winning via a run off vote, the country was entering a state of authoritarianism (Gladstone). Things seemed to only get worse with a lot of displacement amongst people and flooding. Finally, the people got tired of the Figure 2.2: Francois Bozize during presidency. Source: Reuters unstable conditions and this resulted in 33 dead in June 2006 from several rebel attacks linked to political unrest (BBC News). After tensions rose with rebel groups, a peace treaty between Bozize and 2 leaders of the rebel groups was reached in 2007 to try and encourage disarming and demobilizing of troops (BBC Timeline). UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Topic B: Alleviating Tensions in the Central African Republic Between Armed Groups and Communities As rebel groups tensions were growing with the government, their rebellious foundation was only becoming more rooted (Moran). The Central African Bush War was a precursor to the unrest that was to devastate the nation. This war began in 2004 and many rebel groups were established while previously extinguished ones rose from the ashes (Moran). Figure 2.3: Refugees from CAR. Source: Reuters Many people took to arms and this led to militant communities throughout the country; primarily in rural areas. This really grounded the rebels and their ideology in the country. These rising tensions resulted in a rebellion in 2012 by the predominantly Muslim rebel coalition, Seleka. Michel Djotodia was the leader of this coalition (BBC News). This group was very unique and demanded attention because it was run by Muslims in a country with a prevalent Christian population and this alone caused uproar with the people and onset an extreme Figure 2.4: Michel Djotodia in office. Source: Reuters sense of xenophobia (Moran). After peace negotiations, it seemed that Djotodia settled to UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Topic B: Alleviating Tensions in the Central African Republic Between Armed Groups and Communities be head of National Defense but unsurprisingly once the agreements were about to take place, Seleka captured the capital and Djotodia assumed office with hopes of transitioning the country into elections (BBC Timeline). During this period ties were very sensitive and a lot of racial violence ensued. Due to this, regional pressures forced Djotodia to step down and as of January 2014, was replaced by Catherine Samba-­‐Panza, the first female president of CAR (BBC News). Due to the onset of violence coming with the new elections, the United Nations Security Council established United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic as a reactionary precaution as of April 10th, 2014(MINUSCA). Shortly after its initiation, this mission was authorized to take all necessary means to try and alleviate the crisis. This is presented in the first clause of their mandate: i. To protect, without prejudice to the primary responsibility of the Central African Republic authorities, the civilian population from threat of physical violence, within its capabilities and areas of deployment, including through active patrolling; ii. To provide specific protection for women and children affected by armed conflict, including through the deployment of Child Protection Advisors and Women Protection Advisors; iii. To identify and record threats and attacks against the civilian population, including through regular interaction with the civilian population and working closely with humanitarian and human rights organizations; UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Topic B: Alleviating Tensions in the Central African Republic Between Armed Groups and Communities iv. To design, implement and deliver, in close consultation with humanitarian and human rights organizations and other relevant partners, a mission-­‐wide protection strategy; (UN). However, MINUSCA’s efforts for reconciliation were negated by the upsurge of ex-­‐
Seleka members’ skirmishes that led to the death on December 16, 2014, where 28 were killed. These skirmishes continued for weeks to come and they even managed to attack the chairman of the Transitional Council. An agreement was reached in January the following year to end all violence in return for repealing all transitional authorities (Crisis Group). Several kidnappings and hostage situations arose in order to further different political agendas and to free captured rebel group leaders. As the year progressed, the peacekeeping mission started to see a decline in their influence and an increase in attacks against them. In August 2015, clashes between UN Peacekeepers and rebels reached a highpoint and several peacekeepers were killed or injured. Bloc Positions This topic doesn’t hold too many stern bloc positions however the CAR maintains relations with several neighboring and international countries. Seeing as it is a landlocked country, it needs to maintain good relations with several of its neighboring countries that have access to a port. The troubled nation is also no stranger to international donations, especially from the West. The United States of America initiated relations with the nation shortly after their independence from France, in 1960. Because of the country’s history of military coupes and UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Topic B: Alleviating Tensions in the Central African Republic Between Armed Groups and Communities instability, the U.S. Embassy has been forced to evacuate from CAR several times (U.S. Department of State). From 1996-­‐97, the embassy was forced to close due to an increase in internal military deployment. They reopened the following year however the Peace Corps and U.S. Agency for International Development did not till today (U.S. Department of State. There are mixed relations between CAR and Sudan due to skirmishes over grazing land and waters amongst pastoralist groups. However, Sudan, northeast of CAR, was also a part of the peacekeeping force in the coalition called the Community of Sahel-­‐Saharan States, helping to maintain sovereignty in the troubled nation. Figure 2.5: UN Peacekeeping Forces in CAR. Source: Getty Images Located to the east of CAR, Cameroon shares a lot of cultural and social dynamics with CAR. Since it is bordering the waters, it also plays the role of a very important commerce partner. Cameroon is currently hosting over 259,000 refugees from CAR; this amounts to around 55% of CAR’s total 467,000 (UNHCR). 185,000 of these refugees are located in the eastern region, where the border between the two nations lies. To the north, Chad was a very strong ally of Bozize’s and helped him rise to power however with all the shifts in power, they’re relations have been strained. Regardless, they’re a bordering nation, which makes it a hotspot for refugees. Chad currently has over UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Topic B: Alleviating Tensions in the Central African Republic Between Armed Groups and Communities 67,000 refugees from CAR and this accounts for about 16 percent of the total refugee count (UNHCR). France has been supportive of CAR’s attempts to get out of this crisis and has played a role in initiating and maintaining dialogues among different authoritative forces. The European nation also remains to be a very strong and important ally of CAR’s because they are their biggest donor and have consistently provided humanitarian aid and troops. France has proclaimed over $70 million to help alleviate the crisis in CAR (France and the Central African Republic). About $45 million has gone to the “recovery and then development assistance” and this has been distributed and executed primarily by the French Development Agency in order to counter the long term harm caused by the crisis(France and the Central African Republic). Another large sum of more than $15 million goes to food provisions and emergency humanitarian relief as a response to the immediate damage caused, which currently left around 2.7 million people “in dire need” (CrisisWatch Database). Commerce and trade have also heavily suffered between France and CAR due to the crisis, however it still remains the biggest investor in the country. Committee Mission It is very evident that the crisis in CAR has been ongoing and there is no certainty whether or not peace will be restored in the near future. Additionally, the people of CAR have suffered and endured generations of unsettlement and distress and with over 400,000 internationally displaced people, the turmoil is spilling over. Because of this the nation has potential to cause unrest in the region even though there are measures being taken to try and control the situation. This is a matter that requires action and critical analysis. A matter UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Topic B: Alleviating Tensions in the Central African Republic Between Armed Groups and Communities such as this pertains to a small and powerful force such as this committee’s. The state and region suffers severe economic and political unrest and it is the Security Council’s mission to maintain international peace and security. Questions to Consider 1. What type of involvement does your nation have in the Central African Republic’s crisis? 2. How can leadership in the new country be negotiated? 3. How can equal opportunity for all running parties be achieved? 4. In what ways can the refugee issue be handled within and outside the borders of CAR? 5. Is there a way to get refugees in other nations to be involved in the new elections? UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Topic B: Alleviating Tensions in the Central African Republic Between Armed Groups and Communities Works Cited CAR Emergency. (n.d.). Retrieved June 04, 2016, from http://www.unhcr.org/car-­‐ emergency.html The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is a large UN agency aiming at protecting and serving refugees worldwide. Several statistics were presented in this article. CrisisWatch Database. (2015). Retrieved May 13, 2016, from http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/publication-­‐type/crisiswatch/crisiswatch-­‐
database.aspx? A bulletin that provides succinct yet detailed information on issues or potential issues around the world. It was created by International Crisis Group, which works at preventing crises worldwide. CAR interim President Michel Djotodia resigns -­‐ BBC News. (2014, January 11). Retrieved April 13, 2016, from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-­‐africa-­‐25683279 This article gave insight on the most historic military coupe of CAR because of the leader’s religious background. It was also the most recent one coming from the news agency BBC. Central African Republic profile -­‐ Timeline -­‐ BBC News. (2016, February 10). Retrieved April 13, 2016, from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-­‐africa-­‐13150044 This timeline highlighted a lot of the main and impactful events that took place in CAR since before independence up until recently. France and the Central African Republic. (n.d.). Retrieved June 4, 2016, from http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/country-­‐files/central-­‐african-­‐republic/france-­‐
and-­‐the-­‐central-­‐african-­‐republic/ This is the french government’s website and it directly talks about their involvement and different types of involvement throughout the years. It also talks about the money spent by France to help the crisis. Gladstone, R. (2013). Central African Republic Stirs Concern. Retrieved April 13, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/19/world/africa/central-­‐african-­‐republic-­‐
stirs-­‐concern.html A great article by Gladstone talking about the growing worries of the international community for arguably the least developed nation in the world. Hoogstraten, J. S. (n.d.). Central African Republic. Retrieved May 17, 2016, from http://www.britannica.com/place/Central-­‐African-­‐Republic An excerpt from the Britannica Encyclopedia mainly presenting the geopolitics of the region. Kalck, P. (1971). Central African Republic: A failure in decolonisation. London: Pall Mall Press. Probably the most in depth and analytical piece in this reference list. This traces back and pinpoints the roots of the unrest in CAR as well as the lasting effects of colonization. UCMUN 2016 United Nations Security Council Topic B: Alleviating Tensions in the Central African Republic Between Armed Groups and Communities Moran, B. (2014, December 1). Central African Republic. Retrieved April 13, 2016, from http://projects.aljazeera.com/2014/car-­‐transition/ Discusses in detail the roots of the Seleka rebel movement uprising and its effects on the politics of the region currently. MINUSCA Mandate -­‐ United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). (n.d.). Retrieved April 30, 2016, from http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/minusca/mandate.shtml This source discusses previous actions taken by MINUSCA and what further action should be taken. The mandate more specifically breaks down their mission goals and priorities. The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. (n.d.). Jean-­‐Bedel Bokassa. Retrieved April 13, 2016, from http://www.britannica.com/biography/Jean-­‐Bedel-­‐Bokassa This article from the Encyclopedia Britannica gave more insight on the most brutal and spendthrift leader CAR has ever faced.