A3+ JOINT STATEMENT ON UNSC BRIEFING ON THE UNITED NATIONS REGIONAL OFFICE FOR CENTRAL AFRICA (UNOCA)

  Delivered by

H.E. Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Permanent Representative of

Guyana to the United Nations

11th December 2025

President,

I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the A3+, namely, Algeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and my country, Guyana.

The A3+ thanks Mr. Abdou Abarry, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Central Africa and Head of United Nations Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), for his informative briefing on the Secretary-General’s report. We affirm that UNOCA’s mandate is essential to maintaining peace and security and fostering cooperation across the Central African Region.

We have also listened carefully to the intervention by Ms. Huré.

President,

The A3+ is encouraged by the positive political developments in the subregion. We acknowledge the efforts of countries in the region in their pursuit of democratic governance and welcome the successful conduct of several elections during the reporting period. The A3+ continues to closely follow developments in Chad.

We commend Chad on the conclusion of its political transition and express optimism that its efforts of decentralization, including the harmonization of legal frameworks, and strengthening of local governance will contribute to sustainable peace and development. We note that calm has been restored in Cameroon following its recently held presidential election. We have also taken note of the concerns expressed about impediments posed to opposition candidates participating in the process. The A3+ urges all relevant stakeholders to engage meaningfully to address these and other concerns that may create conditions for instability.

President,

The success of the subregion is an essential pillar in Africa’s overall development. The A3+ is therefore concerned about the political tensions surrounding the rotating chairpersonship of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).

In this connection, we urge all relevant parties to move beyond their differences in the best interest of the people of Central Africa and of ECCAS. We also congratulate the newly appointed President of the ECCAS Commission, Mr. Ézéchiel Nibigira, and we look forward to him advancing the organization’s mandate. We thank his predecessor, Mr. Gilberto Da Piedade Veríssimo, for his service to ECCAS and the people of the subregion.

President,

On the security front, the A3+ strongly condemns the continued terror activities attributed to Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin, where their attacks during the last reporting period resulted in the deaths of more than 100 civilians, including women and children. We also express our regret at the loss of lives of military personnel from the Multinational Joint Task Force who were ambushed in late October.

We reiterate our call for the Joint Task Force to be strengthened to counter Boko Haram and its affiliates in the region. We are pleased that the situation in the Lake Chad Basin was discussed in Addis-Ababa during the recently held Annual Joint Consultative Meeting between the African Union Peace and Security Council and the members of the Security Council. We also welcome the discussions held on enhancing support for African Union-led peace operations in the region and beyond, and regret that the two Councils were unable to agree on a substantive Communiqué reflecting on this and other issues of importance to Africa.

Turning to the situation in the Central African Republic, the A3+ commends Chad for its successful mediation between the Government of the Central African Republic and the armed group “Mouvement Patriotique pour la Centrafrique” (MPC), which led to the signing of a Peace Agreement in N'Djamena on 19 November 2025. This marked yet another important step toward achieving lasting peace in CAR, following the peace agreements signed with the 3R and UPC armed groups last April, also under the mediation of Chad.

President,

According to the latest Secretary General’s report, the effects of climate change on regional stability, including farmer-herder dynamics and inter- communal conflict, are present threats to the subregion that require integrated solutions.

We, therefore, welcome the ongoing informal field mission to Chad by some Council members to better understand these dynamics. We hope that a clearer understanding of the situation on the ground will enable the Security Council to better support UNOCA’s work.

Regarding the humanitarian situation, we continue to urge support for ECCAS’ Humanitarian Assistance Fund to strengthen the capacities of neighboring states that are grappling with refugee inflows from Sudan. We also call on the UN system and all other relevant partners to facilitate cross-border operations between the affected countries so as to allow humanitarian aid to reach communities in urgent need.

We further reiterate our call for the prioritization of diplomatic engagements and political solutions to address the root causes of the conflict in Sudan premised on respect for its territorial integrity.

President,

While the political dynamics in the Central African region are not ideal, we must acknowledge the progress made and seek to build on those gains. We must also continue to pay attention to the security and humanitarian tracks, which continue to require a strong UN presence on the ground.

We therefore stress that any impractical reduction of UNOCA’s resources, which will undermine the execution of its vital mandate, may prove costly. UNOCA must be adequately funded and have the full backing of this Council at this critical juncture to enable the Mission to effectively operate. Delivering peace, stability, and prosperity in the Central Africa region must remain a priority.

I thank you.