African Union Chairperson, President Cyril Ramaphosa, has urged political actors in the Central African Republic (CAR) to desist from fomenting tension as a means of achieving sustainable peace and stability.
“The guns of insurrection must be silenced to enable the democratic will of the people of the Central African Republic to be expressed and realised.
“At the dawn of a new year, which brings with it the advent of free trade across our continent, we must do all we can to ensure that no country or region is left behind by conflict that denies citizens the right to peace, stability and development,” he said.
President Ramaphosa’s message came on Sunday, 27 December, as the CAR headed to the polls. He thanked the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) for the considered and progressive stance taken regarding the situation in the CAR ahead of the elections.
The AU Chairperson says the electoral process and its outcome in the Central African Republic must entail adherence to the Republic’s Constitution, decisions of the Constitutional Court and the provisions of the February 2019 Peace Agreement.
President Ramaphosa says an end to armed conflict is a prerequisite for free, fair and credible elections, which must in turn form the basis of peace that will benefit the CAR and the ECCAS more broadly. - SAnews.gov.za
