Kuwait denounces extremist attacks on Central African Republic Muslims

Acting head of Kuwait mission to the UN Bader Al-Manikh on Tuesday said his country strongly denounces the attacks against Muslims in Central African Republic (CAR) as it did in cases of violence based on religious or racial grounds

The attacks by CAR extremist groups target not only Muslim figures, and their homes and places of worship but UN staffers and aid workers as well, he said in a speech to a UN Security Council session on the situation in CAR.  

Ambassador Al-Manikh voiced profound concern over the repeated attacks on members of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), which could hamper the relief effort, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported. 

The State of Kuwait calls on the government of CAR to double its effort to halt all kinds of violence and hate, and promote the culture of coexistence among all segments of the society, otherwise the instability and insecurity could have a spillover effect on neighbouring countries, he stressed.

Meanwhile, he welcomed the inauguration yesterday of the criminal court on the Central African Republic as an important step towards restoring stability and security in the country and brining the culprits of crimes to justice

Recalling his visit to CAR on October 2-5 alongside a UN delegation, Ambassador Al-Manikh said he felt indications of improvement in the security and political areas although the situation was still fragile particularly in 

the capital city of Bangui. The acts of violence that broke out in 2013 will left nearly half a million citizens dependent on humanitarian aid, rendered more than 616,000 others internally displaced, and forced 572,000 people to flee to neighboring countries, he pointed out.  He called on the adversaries in CAR to engage in a political dialogue that could lead to peaceful settlement to the conflict.

He commended the efforts of the African Union, the Economic Community of Central African States and the European Union to bring the leaders of political parties in CAR to the negotiating table,

Ambassador Al-Manikh expressed hope that the presidential elections, due in 2020 and 2021, would contribute to restoration of stability in the country.  He affirmed Kuwait's support to the extension of the mandate of MINUSCA until November 15, 2019, and to the UN Secretary General's proposal for expanding the mandate of the mission to include election monitoring