The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has authorised the deployment of a 12,000 strong force to the Central African Republic (CAR), in order to replace the International Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA).⁽²⁾ The new UN peacekeeping mission, known as the Multidimensional Integrated Mission of the United Nations for Stabilisation in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), will officially come into effect on 15 September 2014 and has been mandated to protect the population and “accelerate the implementation of the political process, including on the reconciliation aspects and on the holding of free, fair, transparent and inclusive elections as soon as technically possible.”⁽³⁾

As the CAR prepares to welcome MINUSCA, violence and humanitarian abuses continue to plague the African state, with people fleeing to neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Sudan.⁽⁴⁾ Furthermore, while the transitional government (formed in February 2014, under President Catherine Samba-Panza) has tried to curb the violence in the CAR with assistance from a 6,000 strong African Union (AU) peacekeeping force, a French contingent of 2,000 and a 700 European Union (EU) contingent, a democratic transition has remained elusive.⁽⁵⁾ This paper discusses the implications of the scheduled 15 February 2015 elections for peace in the CAR, arguing that simply holding elections will not be a means to peace in the CAR, due to the multi-faceted and complex nature of the elections. However, the paper proposes that reconciliation elections, first in the form of local elections, should be held in the event that elections should do go ahead.

Elections as a means to peace

The conflict in the CAR has been caused primarily by the collapse of the state and security sectors and an ineffective economic institution.⁽⁶⁾ These causes are not recent but have been brewing since the CAR gained its independence from France in 1960.⁽⁷⁾ What followed after independence was a process of five coups d’état, marginalisation of the rural population and a lack of common identity between Bangui (the capital) and the rural areas.⁽⁸⁾ This marginalisation resulted in an ensuing dislike for the various governments since independence.

With the authorisation of a peacekeeping mission to the CAR have come strong recommendations for elections in February 2015, in order to decrease violence by means of a democratic government. But the plan to hold elections in February 2015 presents a challenge to peace and security in the CAR, both in the short and long term, mainly due to the sectarian and religious nature of the conflict and the ongoing violence between the various armed groups, together with the humanitarian issues that have arisen as a result. Elections are not a means to peace in the CAR and, to some extent, the implied suggestion that elections will instil peace in the CAR is a farce. In Africa, elections should not be used as a means to restore peace, but rather to instil a democratic process, as elections bring about legitimacy of governments. The consequence of the latter then serves to stand as a better means of resolving conflicts.

If elections have any hope of ultimately achieving peace through legitimising the government thus facilitating conflict resolution, the elections themselves must be peaceful. For African electoral processes to be peaceful, they should be held under regimes that are formed on democratic values and principles, with governments that seek to protect and promote human rights that are understood to broadly encompass individual, civil and political rights, as well as group and economic rights.⁽⁹⁾ This form of democracy is centred on political participation of leaders, competition for government power, and civil and political rights.⁽¹⁰⁾ If elections are to take place in February 2015, it is crucial to ensure that at least some of these democratic tenets are in place first.

Reconciliation elections as a means to peace

The first step towards holding any form of elections in the CAR is to engage in a process of reconciliation. But the process of elections is itself a form of reconciliation - though to varying degrees and with certain conditions. According to Lopez-Pinto, “reconciliation elections are aimed primarily at incorporating into a democratic political system political antagonists who are related to each other by the use of sheer force prior to the election.”⁽¹¹⁾ In addition, reconciliation tightens the social fabric, and it is likely that in the CAR it will also reduce tensions. With different groups in conflict, elections have the ability to attain meaningful reconciliation and sustainable peace by including some armed groups in government, an act intended to make the warring parties feel that they are part of the peace process, contributing to an aura of peace.

Currently some members of the Seleka and anti-balaka armed movements are in the interim transitional government. Yet, despite their inclusion in government, violence between Muslims and Christians continues to occur. Holding presidential and national elections that will lead to the end of the conflict thus involves not only reconciliation through the inclusion of former militias in government, but also a process of disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of armed groups into society. These preconditions are necessary to pave the way towards reconciliation elections, with these armed groups fairly and equally participating in the elections.

Local elections as an alternative

Local elections have routinely been delayed by successive governments and by the plans to hold national elections in February. However, considering the above, the focus should be on local elections, with national elections planned for a more long-term transitory period. Local elections will be a litmus test to determine the readiness of the CAR to hold national elections.

Furthermore, traditionally, local prefects in certain regions have been appointed directly by the president and chefs de village have assumed their positions through heredity and informal elections.⁽¹²⁾ Additionally, voting in the CAR has historically largely been anything but fair. Voting stations have either been lost or destroyed, and there have been irregularities in the electoral process, such as fraud.⁽¹³⁾ Elections have also not been held for over a decade in some areas that have endured fighting.⁽¹⁴⁾ Local elections would provide local communities with the tools of nation building, providing the context in which solutions to the conflict can be found and the gaps within the electoral system can be bridged, thus moving the country towards peace and, ultimately, national elections. This will involve working with religious and other communities to cultivate a culture of political participation and political legitimacy of the government that is eventually elected. However, reflecting the complexity of the situation, one problem with focusing on holding local rather than national elections is that the transitional government of Samba-Panza will have to govern the country beyond the February 2015 election date currently proposed. This has the potential to create dissidence and prolong the peace process which may prevent citizens voting in local elections.

Concluding remarks

The UN’s resolution to deploy a 12,000 strong peacekeeping force to the CAR with the aim of working towards an election in February 2015 demonstrates the seriousness of the worsening security and humanitarian situation and the need for a resolution. Considering that reconciliation, partly through inclusion of armed groups in government, is key to this resolution, elections could help the country attain peace in the short and long-term. There are possible options for elections that are likely to bring peace. However, if this process is not managed effectively it will exacerbate the conflict. The key to a peaceful resolution to the conflict is reconciliation, as it paves the way for free and fair elections and a democratic process. Without reconciliation, no legitimate government will ever arise out of the turmoil.

Written by Henry Berrian ⁽¹⁾

NOTES:

(1) Henry Berrian is a Research Associate with CAI and a Junior Professional at Capacity and Development Services, with particular research interests in elections and democracy in Africa, Africa’s development agenda in the 21st Century, and state-building. Contact Henry through CAI’s Elections & Democracy unit ( elections.democracy@consultancyafrica.com). Edited by Liezl Stretton. Research Manager: Daniela Kirkby.
(2) Lederer, E.D., ‘UN authorizes peacekeeping force for Central African Republic’, 10 April 2014, http://www.huffingtonpost.com.
(3) ‘Security Council authorizes United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Central African Republic’, United Nations, 10 April 2014, http://www.un.org.
(4) ‘2014 UNHCR country operations profile - Central African Republic’, United Nations High Commission for Refugees, July 2014, http://www.unhcr.org.
(5) ‘CAR conflict: Chad says all its troops withdrawn’, BBC News Africa, 16 April 2014, http://www.bbc.com.
(6) ‘The Central African crisis: From predation to stabilisation’, International Crisis Group, Africa Report No.219, 17 June 2014, http://www.crisisgroup.org.
(7) ‘Background: The varied causes of conflict in CAR’, Human Rights Watch, September 2007, http://www.hrw.org.
(8) Marima, T., ‘Looking for answers after CAR coup d’état’, AlJazeera, 25 March 2013, http://www.aljazeera.com.
(9) Mangu, A.M. and Budeli, M., 2008. Democracy and elections in Africa in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Lessons for Africa. Law, Democracy and Development, 12(1), pp. 93-112.
(10) Sorensen, G., 1996. “Democracy and the development State”, in Nyangoro, J.E. (ed.). Discourses on democracy: Africa in comparative perspective. Dar es Salaam University Press: Dar Es Salaam.
(11) Lacy, B., 2004, ‘Building accountability, legitimacy, and peace: Refugees, internally displaced persons, and the right to political participation’, Paper prepared for the International Foundation for Elections Systems, (IFES), 25–26 August 2004, http://www.ifes.org.
(12)Ibid.
(13) Kleinasasser, S., ‘Central African Republic: Conflict Report-The Politics of War and Peace’ 17 May, 2010, http://www.usfca.edu.
(14) Ibid.