Experts of the Committee on Enforced Disappearances Commend the Central African Republic’s Willingness to Review Laws and Practices, Ask about Arbitrary Detentions and Enforced Disappearances in Conflict Settings
The Committee on Enforced Disappearances today concluded its consideration of the efforts of the Central African Republic to implement the International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. Committee Experts commended the State party’s willingness to review its laws and practices on enforced disappearance, while asking questions on arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances in conflict settings.
Olivier de Frouville, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, welcomed the State party’s sincerity and its willingness to review its laws and practices. Matar Diop, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, asked whether the State’s Criminal Code had been amended to criminalise enforced disappearance as a stand-alone offence.
Mr. de Frouville said the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic had documented unlawful or arbitrary detention of more than 1,000 persons, including 41 unlawful arrests in 2023 by the armed forces, which did not have the legal competence to carry out arrests. How was the State party addressing this issue?
Mr. Diop also cited reports of dozens of disappearances carried out in the context of intercommunal violence. Would persons other than the former President Bozize, who was currently being tried, be held accountable for carrying out disappearances in conflict settings? Had the State implemented measures to facilitate the reporting of disappearances and to prevent the scourge?
Firmin N’gbeng-Mokoue, Minister Counsellor, Chargé d’Affaires and Permanent Representative a.i. of the Central African Republic to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, said the Central African Republic had two major policies contributing to the protection of people from enforced disappearance: the sectoral justice policy and the national human rights policy. The former aimed to restore justice throughout the country and to fight against impunity, and the latter was the State’s strategic framework for the promotion and protection of human rights.
The delegation said the reform of the Criminal Code would make enforced disappearance a stand-alone crime and define aggravating circumstances. The first draft of the reformed Code had been submitted to a government commission for review, before its referral to the Council of Ministers and the National Assembly for adoption.
The delegation also said secret detention was prohibited in State legislation, which provided lawyers, family members and consular authorities with the right to access detainees. Every effort needed to be made by prison officers to keep records of detentions. The State party had records of all persons entering prisons, accused persons, released persons, and persons who died in custody, among others.
On investigations into enforced disappearances, the delegation said the only case before the courts related to enforced disappearances was that of former President Bozize. Some 77 arrest warrants had been issued related to enforced disappearances in the State. The Ministry of Justice took steps to conduct investigations into every allegation of enforced disappearance that it received. All perpetrators of enforced disappearance would be held accountable.
In concluding remarks, Mr. N’gbeng-Mokoue said the Central African Republic’s Government had exerted efforts to protect human rights despite the challenges that the State was facing. It valued its relationship with the Committee and would take on board its recommendations. The State party was committed to continuing to improve the situation of human rights across the country.
Milica Kolakovic-Bojovic, Committee Vice-Chair and Acting Chair of the Committee for the dialogue, in concluding remarks, thanked the delegation for the constructive dialogue. The Committee and the State party’s common objective was to ensure the implementation of the Convention and to eradicate and prevent enforced disappearances. It would continue to support the State party in this regard.
The delegation of the Central African Republic consisted of representatives of the Ministry of Justice; Network of Parliamentarians for Human Rights; National Commission on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms; Prison Service; and the Permanent Mission of the Central African Republic to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
The Committee will issue its concluding observations on the Central African Republic at the end of its twenty-eighth session, which concludes on 4 April. Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, while webcasts of the public meetings can be found here. The programme of work and other documents related to the session can be found here.
The Committee will next meet in public at 3 p.m. today, Thursday, 20 March, to consider the report of Peru on a stand-alone request for additional information under article 29 (4) of the Convention ( CED/C/PER/QSA/AI/1).
Reply to the List of Issues
The Committee has before it the reply to the list of issues of the Central African Republic, submitted in absence of a report (CED/C/CAF/RQAR/1).
Opening Statement
FIRMINN’GBENG-MOKOUE, Minister Counsellor, Chargé d’Affaires and Permanent Representative a.i. of the Central African Republic to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, said the reply to the list of issues covered the period from 2016 to 2024. Its elaboration followed a participatory process involving ministerial departments, Parliament, the National Commission on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and civil society organizations gathered in the Standing Committee for the Drafting of Reports and Follow-up of Recommendations, which monitored the implementation of recommendations related to international human rights instruments.
The Convention’s provisions were directly enforceable in national courts and the competent authorities were obliged to ensure that they were respected and enforced. To this end, provisions had been included in national legislation to enshrine the guarantees granted to all persons against enforced disappearance. The Constitution of 2023, without expressly mentioning enforced disappearance, proclaimed the right to life, liberty, security and integrity of the person; the formal prohibition of acts of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; and the right to be heard by a court and to benefit from the protection of the public authorities.
The Criminal Code criminalised enforced disappearance, addressing political actors who could commit this crime, and classified it as a crime against humanity. In addition, offences considered to be related to the crime of enforced disappearance, such as unlawful arrest, kidnapping, trafficking in persons and slavery, were criminalised and severely punished under the Criminal Code.
At the institutional level, the structures in charge of preventing and punishing the crime of enforced disappearance were the Ministries of Justice, Defence, Public Security, Humanitarian Action, and Protection of Women and Children. At the judicial level, the State had established its universal and territorial jurisdiction over crimes of enforced disappearance in accordance with article nine of the Convention. The Central African courts had jurisdiction over crimes of enforced disappearance committed on or outside the national territory.
The Special Criminal Court, a hybrid court composed of national and international judges, was also available and certain cases could be referred to the International Criminal Court. The Special Criminal Court issued an international arrest warrant in February 2024 against former President François Bozize for alleged serious crimes against international human rights law, including the crime of enforced disappearance.
The Central African Republic had two major policies contributing to the protection of people from enforced disappearance: the sectoral justice policy and the national human rights policy. The sectoral justice policy aimed to restore justice throughout the country following the recurrent crises from which the State was gradually recovering, and to fight against impunity by providing human, material and financial resources to the judiciary. The national human rights policy was the State’s strategic framework for the promotion and protection of human rights, aiming to ensure respect for and knowledge of human rights by the year 2030. It was accompanied by an initial five-year action plan (2023-2027), with a provisional budget of around five million United States dollars. The policy placed particular emphasis on international commitments resulting from international and regional human rights instruments already ratified and those to be ratified.
Mr. N’gbeng-Mokoue reiterated the firm will of the Central African Republic to promote and protect human rights throughout the national territory. Remarkable progress had been made though the tireless efforts of the Government and other non-State actors, such as the National Commission on Human Rights, the United Nations, and civil society organizations working in the field of human rights. Challenges, particularly of a financial and technical nature, remained and the State party was aware of them. It appealed to the universal human rights community to keep the Central African Republic on its agenda and to provide it with the necessary support to achieve respect for human dignity.
Questions by Committee Experts
MATAR DIOP, Committee Vice-Chair and Country Rapporteur, welcomed the Central African Republic’s commitment to the values of human rights and to cooperation with the Committee. The State party had not submitted its initial report within the two-year timeframe, but the Committee submitted a list of issues to the State party in absence of a report, which the State party responded to in 2024. In the current climate of armed rebellions and intercommunal tension, which components of civil society were involved in drafting the reply to the list of issues? How were the members of the national human rights institution appointed and how was their independence ensured? The budget of the institution had been significantly increased recently. Did it have the necessary resources to achieve its aims? When would the State party make declarations pursuant to articles 31 and 32 of the Convention?
The State party did not currently have a database on enforced disappearance but intended to establish one. Would the State party set up such a database or a register of missing persons in future?
Had the Criminal Code been amended to criminalise enforced disappearance as a stand-alone offence? What legislation allowed the State party to prosecute cases of enforced disappearance that were not crimes against humanity? There were reports of dozens of disappearances carried out in the context of intercommunal violence. Would persons other than the former President be held accountable for carrying out disappearances in conflict settings? What steps had been taken to investigate enforced disappearances committed by armed groups acting without the authorisation of the State, and to bring these persons to justice? Had the State implemented measures to facilitate the reporting of disappearances and to prevent the scourge?
Eleven members of the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission had been dismissed while undertaking investigations into deadly abductions. What were the reasons for these dismissals? Would they be replaced? What guarantees were in place to ensure the independence of investigative officers?
OLIVIER DE FROUVILLE, Committee Chair and Country Rapporteur, said it was welcome that the statute of limitations was not applied to enforced disappearances considered to be crimes of humanity. Would the new provision of the Criminal Code addressing enforced disappearance include a statute of limitations? The Criminal Code’s provisions on offences of enforced disappearance committed outside of the territory of the State did not reference the Convention or the Rome Statute. Would the State party amend the Criminal Code in this regard? Were the crimes listed in the Rome Statute covered by the Criminal Code?
How could the State party ensure complementarity between the International Criminal Court and the Special Criminal Court, which were mandated to assess similar cases? Could cases of enforced disappearance that were crimes against humanity be brought before domestic courts? Did the State party plan to amend national legislation to prevent military courts from assessing cases of enforced disappearance, in line with the Committee’s recommendations? Which authorities were mandated to launch investigations into allegations of enforced disappearance committed by armed groups or State officials? Were oversight authorities able to visit places of detention? What measures were in place to protect persons who carried out investigations and victims’ family members?
The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic reported in October 2024 that two 15-year-old boys had been killed by Wagner Group armed forces, having been thrown in a river with their hands tied behind their back. Their remains had yet to be found. The Committee was aware of over 90 reports of human rights violations by foreign armed forces, including cases of enforced disappearance. Further, the State party had not initiated inquiries into several complaints of torture and enforced disappearance by the Central African Armed Forces, including one case in which five men were detained incommunicado in a shipping container for five days. There were also accusations of forced labour imposed by the armed forces and of illegal detention and torture in army bases and police stations. What had the State party done to respond to these complaints, both in terms of investigations and protection measures?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the national human rights institution had 12 members who were appointed by the institution itself and endorsed by the President of the Republic. Members included female activists, persons defending minority rights, lawyers and magistrates. The institution was independent. It had faced no threats or prohibitions regarding its activities. Its budget was insufficient, but it continued to work with what it had. The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic and the international community supported the institution’s activities. It was investigating complaints of human rights violations, including enforced disappearances.
The reform of the Criminal Code would make enforced disappearance a stand-alone crime and define aggravating circumstances. The first draft of the reformed Code had been submitted to a government commission for review, before its referral to the Council of Ministers and the National Assembly for adoption. The Central African Republic was committed to modernising its legislation.
The only case before the courts related to enforced disappearances was that of the former President. Some 77 arrest warrants had been issued related to enforced disappearances in the State, but information on many of these could not be divulged as investigations were ongoing. Some alleged perpetrators had been arrested and others would be arrested in the coming days. The Ministry of Justice took steps to conduct investigations into every allegation of enforced disappearance that it received, including those made by the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission. The security situation sometimes inhibited investigations on the ground. The Ministry had established a body to gather evidence and prepare a report on these cases. All perpetrators of enforced disappearance would be held accountable; the Central African Republic was working to combat impunity.
National courts were competent to hear cases of enforced disappearance. However, if cases were too complex for national courts to hear or if national courts did not have the necessary resources, the Special Criminal Court could hear the case, or it could be referred to the International Criminal Court. Mechanisms were available to provide protection to victims and witnesses.
The Government had not dissolved the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission, which was independent from the traditional justice system. Unrest in the State had made it difficult for the Commission to operate. It had not issued any reports on its activities. The Government was seeking to support the mechanism and restart its activities, while respecting its independence. A committee had been established to review applicants for positions on the Commission, and candidates had been submitted for approval recently.
The Constitution proclaimed that the Convention was in line with national provisions and that authorities were obliged to implement it. Though the Criminal Code did not explicitly refer to the Convention, judges referred to the Convention when making rulings. The State’s military courts could not try cases of enforced disappearance.
There were no registers of enforced disappearance cases. Several prisons did not keep records of prisoners up to date. Recently, a prisoner who had been detained for over a year had died in a police station, and a commission of inquiry had found that the prisoner’s detention had not been registered. There were likely other similar cases. The national human rights institution did not have the necessary resources to fully investigate such issues. Support from technical partners was needed in this regard.
Follow-Up Questions by Committee Experts
MATAR DIOP, Committee Vice-Chair and Country Rapporteur, asked about the obstacles to setting up registers of missing persons. Did the national human rights institution conduct investigations into enforced disappearance cases? It did not appear to be appropriately resourced to do so. Could the delegation provide more details on progress in investigating the cases for which the 77 arrest warrants mentioned were issued? What was the role of the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission, and what had led to the dismissal of its members? What was preventing the State party from submitting declarations to recognise the Committee’s competence for receiving individual and inter-State communications?
OLIVIER DE FROUVILLE, Committee Chair and Country Rapporteur, asked about the nature of the charges against the 77 persons for whom arrest warrants had been issued. Which body issued the warrants?
There were several allegations of enforced disappearances committed by armed groups. What investigations were underway into those cases? What progress had been made on investigations into the incident where two 15-year-old boys were allegedly thrown into a river in the Mbomou region? Had the State party carried out investigations into alleged acts of enforced disappearances carried out by the Wagner Group and other non-State armed groups? It appeared that there had yet to be many convictions issued for these alleged human rights violations and there was a lack of information on investigations carried out into these cases by the State party. This indicated widespread impunity in the State party. How was the State party protecting witnesses and victims’ family members? Was it providing psychosocial support and other support services to these persons?
A Committee Expert expressed concern that the national human rights institution was reportedly being maintained solely through support from the international community. How would the State party provide stability to the institution to allow it to carry out its mandate? The institution acted as the national preventive mechanism against torture and checked conditions in detention centres. How often were police station and prison registers updated? In the case mentioned where an unregistered detainee had died, was the person in charge of the police station register prosecuted? Would prison registers be made interoperable? What was the timeline for adopting amendments to the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the Commission had not functioned properly for years; it had not submitted reports or carried out investigations. To address this issue, the President issued a decree for members of the Commission to stand down. Efforts had since been made to appoint new members to the Commission; candidates had been submitted for approval last week.
The Government had included various stakeholders in the process of revising the Criminal Code and the Criminal Procedural Code. The revised legislation could be submitted to the National Assembly in its second ordinary session in the middle of the year.
All detention centres needed to review their registers regularly. In the context of its visits to these centres, the national human rights institution had noted some shortcomings in the upkeep of registers; these were not systematic issues. The institution had issued reports on these issues to bring them to the Government’s attention.
The national human rights institution was supported primarily by the national budget but was also supported to carry out additional activities by the international community. The institution’s budget had recently doubled and the State party would do all it could to further increase it.
The inquiry commission into enforced disappearances that had been set up by the Ministry of Justice had reached out to local authorities and conducted hearings with witnesses and victims’ relatives. The commission’s report, which was publicly available, called for the opening of files related to alleged perpetrators. The State party was working to implement the report’s recommendations and to bring perpetrators to justice.
The former President of the Republic was accused of committing a range of crimes, not just enforced disappearance, and there were many persons alleged to have carried out crimes under the President’s orders. Some of these persons had been brought to justice, while other cases were pending. The 77 arrest warrants in question were issued by the Special Criminal Court, which was currently hearing the case involving the former President. However, various other courts in the State were also investigating cases involving former State officials alleged to have committed human rights violations. The State had drafted manuals on cooperation between courts.
Victims of enforced disappearance could obtain compensation through the courts. The State party had limited resources and could not pay out all compensation orders issued by the courts. However, there were funds for supporting victims and the State party had the political will to pay compensation to victims.
The national human rights institution received complaints related to violations of the rights of detainees but had not had the resources to investigate these complaints on the ground. It instead asked relevant agencies, including the police and the gendarmerie, to carry out investigations into these cases. If any agencies refused to cooperate, the institution could lodge appeals with the Attorney-General. The national human rights institution had documented complaints of enforced disappearance in the Mbomou region referred to by the Committee and had called on the Government to take immediate measures to end violations in the region and to appropriately prosecute perpetrators. The institution was not mandated to conduct judicial investigations.
The State was currently rebuilding after three decades of armed conflict. The President of the Republic had called on the Ministry of Justice to create a court in the Mbomou region, which was testimony to the State’s resolve to combat impunity. The Committee was welcome to visit the Central African Republic to witness first-hand efforts being made to combat impunity.
Questions by Committee Experts
OLIVIER DE FROUVILLE, Committee Chair and Country Rapporteur, asked if the State’s laws prohibited the removal of migrants from the territory of the Central African Republic when there were grounds to believe that the person involved could be subsequently subjected to enforced disappearance? How did the State party prevent non-refoulement? Were there mechanisms to appeal removal decisions and did appeals have a suspensive effect on removals? Did legislation specifically prohibit secret detention centres? Did foreign citizens have access to consular authorities? How did the State party guarantee the right to information for migrants?
Detention centres in the State were reportedly overcrowded and had poor conditions. What measures were in place to guarantee the rights of detainees? The Committee was concerned by reports that police custody could run for up to 72 hours and could be renewed for an equivalent period in certain situations, and that the limit on pre-trial detention was not respected, contributing to prison overcrowding. The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic had documented unlawful or arbitrary detention of more than 1,000 persons, including 41 unlawful arrests in 2023 by the armed forces, which did not have the legal competence to carry out arrests. How was the State party addressing this issue? The new Constitution specified that the maximum time limit for police custody was 48 hours. When would the limit in the Criminal Procedural Code be brought in line with this?
What difficulties did the State party face in keeping prison registers up to date? There were many allegations of registers not being kept, making family members of detained persons unable to locate their relatives. It was also reportedly difficult for lawyers and family members to access prison registers. Was the State addressing this issue? Did detainees have access to remedies for unlawful detention, including persons being held in incommunicado detention? What legislation addressed this issue?
The majority of detainees were in pre-trial detention, though the number of pre-trial detainees had decreased in 2023 due to criminal hearings held that year. Prison overcrowding was concerning; one prison was 90 per cent over capacity. What measures had the State party taken to resolve this situation?
What training courses were available on the Convention? There were allegations of enforced disappearance of children, recruitment of child soldiers, sexual exploitation of children, forced child labour, and abduction of children by armed groups in the State. What measures were in place to return child victims of these offences to their families and prevent risks of abduction, recruitment, exploitation and trafficking of children? Did inter-country adoptions occur in the State party? Had any requests for adoption been cancelled? Did the State party intend to ratify the Hague Convention on intercountry adoptions?
MATAR DIOP, Committee Vice-Chair and Country Rapporteur, asked about the fate of the next-of-kin of disappeared persons. Did they need to wait for criminal trials to conclude before they could access reparations? Perpetrators of disappearances were not always prosecuted, even when they were known, making it difficult for victims and their relatives to access remedies. Did the State party support victims and their relatives to obtain reparations? Who was responsible for paying reparations? Had the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission been approached by victims for assistance in obtaining reparations? What progress had been made in providing compensation for the victims of violations ordered by the former President Bozize?
Disappearances needed to be differentiated from missing persons in State legislation. Would the State party consider adopting a standardised procedure for searching for victims and prosecuting perpetrators of enforced disappearance? How did the State party promote the rights to assets and property for victims’ families? Did complaints need to be lodged for searches for disappeared persons to commence? Did non-governmental organizations participate in searches and provide support services for victims’ families? Was there a formal framework for sharing information between the State and victims’ families?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the State party would do its utmost to establish records of enforced disappearances. Every effort needed to be made by prison officers to keep records of detentions. The State party had records of all persons entering prisons, accused persons, released persons, and persons who died in custody, among others. Efforts had been made to improve detention conditions. Periods of crisis, related population movements, and a lack of magistrates and judges to conduct hearings had contributed to prison overcrowding.
Prisons were often targeted by aggressors in conflict situations, which had reduced the number of operational prisons in the State. The State party was working to restore defunct prisons, implement alternatives to detention, and increase the number of judges to reduce case backlogs and address the issue of overcrowding. The number of operational prisons in the State party had increased to 16 thanks to efforts from the Government. There were plans to establish a new large-scale prison in Bangui which would be in line with international standards. Alternatives to detention were not yet incorporated into the State’s criminal legislation. However, there was a review underway that aimed to introduce such alternatives. Courts were also providing incentives to judges to make decisions on cases within deadlines determined by law. The law limited pre-trial detention to two years. Beyond two years, judges were obliged to close cases and to drop charges against concerned individuals.
The State party had implemented domestic legislation that regulated the process for seeking asylum and enshrined the principle of non-refoulement. When asylum seekers asked for international protection, authorities were obliged to refer their case to the National Refugee Commission for assessment. Appeals to rulings on removals of migrants had a suspensive effect, as did all judicial appeals.
Secret detention was prohibited in State legislation, which provided lawyers, family members and consular authorities with the right to access detainees. The Constitution had precedence over the Code of Criminal Procedure and other State laws. Thus, authorities were required to respect the deadline of 48 hours for pre-trial detention. However, this deadline was difficult to respect in practice due to a lack of prison staff, long distances between police offices and detention centres, and other issues that the State party was working to address. The time limit on pre-trial detention given in the Code of Criminal Procedure would be brought in line with the Constitution. There were cases in which army officers operating in remote areas could not immediately hand over arrested persons to the police because they were too far away from police stations.
Women and children were often the most affected by conflicts and crises in the State. To help protect them, the State party had implemented a Children’s Code and established a Ministerial Department and a National Council for Child and Family Protection. The national human rights policy included a disarmament and demobilisation programme that aimed to protect children from recruitment and armed conflict. Children involved with armed groups were considered to be victims and were provided with counselling and support to return to their families.
There had been national and international adoptions involving citizens of the State. Two judges assessed information on the adoptive family before deciding whether to permit intercountry adoptions. Decisions on adoptions could be reversed if there were suspicions of threats to the child’s safety. The national human rights policy included a plan for achieving ratification of the Hague Convention.
Only courts could decide to provide reparations to victims of enforced disappearance and their family members after criminal proceedings had concluded. However, victims’ families could access support services offered by the State party and civil society organizations, including psychological and housing support. Legal outreach centres aided those in need across the State.
Follow-Up Questions by Committee Experts
MATAR DIOP, Committee Vice-Chair and Country Rapporteur, asked whether progress had been made in establishing a register of missing persons. Would the State party establish a specific procedure for recognising victims of enforced disappearance in its legislation and regulate the timeframe for searching for disappeared persons?
OLIVIER DE FROUVILLE, Committee Chair and Country Rapporteur, welcomed the sincerity with which the delegation had answered the Committee’s questions, and the State party’s willingness to review its laws and practices. The Committee was concerned by the lack of participation by civil society organizations in the dialogue. Why had no associations provided their input prior to the dialogue? Were there any non-governmental organizations that had cooperated with the State party on searches? Was the State party providing training on human rights and the Convention, and was the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic involved in this training?
What measures were in place to ensure that detainees of the armed forces had access to their legal guarantees? Such detainees were in danger of being subjected to forced labour, torture and enforced disappearance. What was the State party doing to address this situation? Could the State party provide statistics on adoptions in the Central African Republic and information on allegations of unlawful adoptions? Was the legal framework on adoptions being effectively implemented?
Another Committee Expert asked if there were prisons for women and youths in the Central African Republic. Had the State party taken measures to adequately separate women from men in prisons? Did the national human rights policy include a gender perspective and promote the participation of organizations advocating for women’s rights? There were many reports of sexual violence and rape occurring in conflict settings in the State. Had specific measures been taken to address the needs of women and girls who were victims of violence? Were there sufficient facilities allowing women to testify about such crimes? Had the State party taken specific measures to protect girls affected by abduction?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said there were several registers in place in the State party and it planned to establish a register on enforced disappearance once the crime had been defined in law. The State party would not wait for support from the international community to create such a register. The new Criminal Code would differentiate between missing persons and victims of enforced disappearance.
Civil society organizations were working with the Government and had communicated with the delegation during the dialogue. They were carrying out awareness raising campaigns on enforced disappearance and providing support to victims. Associations of victims of human rights violations were involved in the Government’s decision-making processes. There were no associations specifically for victims of enforced disappearance.
Bangui prisons for adults had separate wings exclusively for minors and had programmes for education, recreation, sports and vocational training. There was a strategy on the reintegration of minors into society after their release. The State had four women’s prisons, but only one was operational due to the conflict. The State party was exerting efforts to care for prisoners and supporting their reintegration into society after release.
The national human rights policy included policies and actions addressing gender issues, including gender-based violence. The State had a special unit of the judicial police and special prosecutors working on gender-based violence cases, and a unit of health practitioners providing care to victims of gender-based violence.
Closing Remarks
FIRMIN N’GBENG-MOKOUE, Minister Counsellor, Chargé d’Affaires and Permanent Representative a.i. of the Central African Republic to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, thanked the Committee for the constructive, enriching dialogue, and thanked partners for facilitating the State party’s participation in the dialogue. The Government had exerted efforts to protect human rights despite the challenges that the State was facing. The Central African Republic valued its relationship with the Committee and would take on board its recommendations. It was committed to continuing to improve the situation of human rights across the country.
MILICA KOLAKOVIC-BOJOVIC, Committee Vice-Chair and Acting Chair of the Committee for the dialogue, thanked the delegation for the constructive dialogue. The Committee would develop concluding observations based on the discussions. The Committee and the State party’s common objective was to ensure the implementation of the Convention and to eradicate and prevent enforced disappearances. It would continue to support the State party in this regard.
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