Minusca Commander commends Rwandan Forces for exemplary courage

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Transcript

00:00 Right now I can say that the security situation across the country is relatively peaceful,

00:06 but unpredictable.

00:09 What has happened now is that most of the armed groups are fragmented.

00:16 They don't pose a serious threat, either territorial or otherwise, to the government of this country.

00:23 So they are operating in silos, starting sweeping from sector west through sector center up

00:29 to sector east.

00:30 So this is what we are seeing.

00:34 In terms of their modus operandi now, they've adopted issues of, we are seeing more activities

00:42 of criminal in nature, hinging on exactions, extortions, you know, robberies on humanitarian

00:54 agencies, equally on the local population, and so on.

00:58 So this is the dynamics currently obtaining.

01:03 Coming to Bangui, as you know, in the military we say that where the seat of government is

01:09 always the center of gravity.

01:12 And this is a center of gravity for the Central African Republic.

01:17 Right now he is relatively calm.

01:19 If you check from where this country is coming from, why?

01:24 It's because of the much work which MINUSCA is doing.

01:28 And I can underscore the many works which the Rwandese contingents are doing here.

01:36 Fantastic.

01:38 Professional contingent.

01:41 And we've managed to subdue some of these cases.

01:46 What we are seeing now is just sporadic cases of criminal in nature which are under the

01:55 umbrella of the police.

01:57 So this is what is happening right now.

02:00 Issues in terms of projection, the government has come up with a calendar in terms of the

02:06 local elections, which are coming into effect in October next year, 2024.

02:15 We are getting out of the rain season.

02:18 So our projection is that we are likely to see an uptick in terms of these criminal activities.

02:24 So if there's an uptick, it means it's in danger of protection of civilians, which is

02:29 priority number one in our mandate.

02:32 So what should we do?

02:33 So we are coming up with contingent plans of number one on how we are going to ensure

02:37 that we diminish that threat.

02:39 Secondly, on how we are going to support the electoral process, because that is part of

02:45 our mandate.

02:46 So those are what we are doing right now.

02:48 But I can safely say that we have managed to control almost 75% in terms of criminal

02:54 activities.

02:55 Now, we have a challenge.

02:58 In most of these hard to reach areas, you know, in the field, what we are doing is,

03:05 yes, Minusca, we are managing to reach those areas.

03:08 We have demonstrated in the recent past in Samwanja and in Mboki, where we have done

03:14 joint operations with the FAKA, the local military.

03:20 The issue now comes in the extension of state authority, because there's a relative absence

03:26 of state authority in many areas.

03:29 They are mostly concentrated here in Bangui and in most of these prefecture headquarters,

03:35 Bangoa, Bua, Bria, Bangaso and so on.

03:39 But when you go deep, there's relative absence.

03:43 So this is what we are doing.

03:44 It's part of our mandate.

03:45 Once we conduct a joint operation, we are on the ground.

03:49 Now other institutions of government can start coming in slowly to take over, you know, government

03:55 responsibilities in those areas.

03:57 I've been in the military for 30 years.

04:00 They are very brave.

04:04 And that is one attribute we require from a soldier.

04:10 Under very difficult circumstances, here we operate under very, very difficult circumstances.

04:17 But I found Rwandese contingents to be one of the bravest.

04:21 They are very brave.

04:24 We had an incident here, I think, sometime in either July or August in Samwanja.

04:32 In Samwanja is an area located closer to the border with Sudan.

04:38 We had a lot of insecurity in that area.

04:42 So a decision was made under the leadership of the SRSG, Madame Valentina Urugwabiza,

04:49 to intervene.

04:51 One, because of, you know, to ensure protection of civilians.

04:58 And as first commander, we moved the Rwandese battle group from Ubria.

05:06 And in the meantime, they intervened because we had a huge influx of armed elements.

05:12 They had taken over completely the town.

05:16 But against all odds, Rwandese, you know, moved in.

05:20 It was against the backdrop of the attack which the armed groups, you know, launched

05:26 on the local gendarmerie, who were deployed there.

05:33 And we had a number of fatalities.

05:36 So we had to activate the Rwandese battle group, deployed in no time.

05:41 The situation was brought under control.

05:44 They managed to, you know, expel all the armed elements from that town.

05:50 And the local population started coming back.

05:54 They are still on the ground as we speak because the situation is not yet stable.

06:00 One of our patrols at one point was even ambushed.

06:03 I know you know.

06:04 We lost one of our, you know, gallant peacekeepers from Rwanda.

06:10 And they had to react with that, you know, posture against that particular ambush.

06:19 It's not an easy thing.

06:21 You are on a patrol, you are ambushed.

06:22 They were able to pursue those armed elements that conducted that ambush.

06:29 And the story, you know about it.

06:32 So those are the attributes I can give on Rwandese.

06:36 Very dependable.

06:38 In so many cases where we have engaged them, they've succeeded.

06:43 So I think they are a force to reckon with.

06:49 Thank you.

06:49 [MUSIC PLAYING]

06:52 (electronic music)

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