Kuwait voices utter concern over current state of affairs in Central Africa

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) NEW YORK, June 5 (KUNA) -- Kuwait voiced utter concern over the current state of affairs in Central Africa, strenuously condemning criminal acts and terrorist bombings taking place in the region.
At the first UN Security Council session held under his presidency for June, Council President and State of Kuwait's Permeant Representative to the UN Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi said late Tuesday that inclusive, free and credible election processes are critical to ensuring stability throughout Central Africa.
Those involved in armed clashes must be found and held accountable, he emphasized, pointing out that attacks by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and Boko Haram threaten civilians, as well as development.
On Cameroon, he urged that country's Government to work towards calming tensions and improving the situation on the ground. He also called upon all parties to resolve their differences through dialogue in order to end tensions and the humanitarian crisis.
Emphasizing the importance of cooperation with regional organizations, Al-Otaibi said partnerships would more effectively address the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, among other challenges.
He said that despite recent political and security gains, Central Africa still faces looming threats, including Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which required local solutions alongside strong continuing international support.
Yet, he highlighted the signing of the peace and reconciliation agreement between the Government of the Central African Republic and 14 armed groups. He also welcomed the decision by regional stakeholders to hold discussions, as well as hailing the holding of upcoming elections; local ones in Angola and presidential ones in Burundi in 2020.
Central Africa is the core region of the African continent, which includes Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda. Middle Africa (as used by the United Nations when categorizing geographic sub-regions) is an analogous term that includes Angola, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, and Sao Tome and Principe.
All of the states in the UN sub-region of Middle Africa, plus those otherwise commonly reckoned in Central Africa (11 states in total), constitute the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS). Since its independence in 2011, South Sudan has also been commonly included in the region. (end)
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