The United Nations Security Council on Monday urged the Central African Republic (CAR) to beef up security to ensure smooth elections in 2010.
Security reform "is a crucial element for the peace-building process in the Central African
Republic and for addressing widespread impunity and increasing respect for human rights,"the 15-member body said in a statement read out by its president for December, Ambassador Michel Kafando of Burkina Faso.
CAR must "carry out without delay a transparent and accountable disarmament,
demobilization and reintegration process" before the 2010 elections, said the statement.
The Security Council also strongly condemned the ongoing attacks by the rebel Ugandan group Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), calling for countries in the region to coordinate better
defenses.
The statement comes a week after UN envoy to CAR Sahle-Work Zewde told the Council that the impoverished country had reached " a critical stage" where peaceful elections before the end of April and the disarmament of militant groups would "determine the fate of the political process."
In presenting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's latest report on the country, Zewde
said that "only a clear course of action by the international and regional actors would help the
CAR to shift from conflict to a post-conflict country."
The political situation in the CAR has witnessed some improvement over the past year,
although incidents of violence have been reported in the north of the country.
In an effort to build on peace agreements between the government and rebel groups, the UN Integrated Peace-building Office in the Central African Republic (BINUCA) will replace the UN Peace-building Office in the Central African Republic (BONUCA) on Jan. 1.
The UN's strategic transition is intended to mobilize regional and international support before the elections.