UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- A durable peace in the Central African Republic (CAR) is achievable with the action of Central Africans and with the help of the international community, said the top UN envoy in the country on Tuesday.
"Despite the persistent challenges, I am hopeful that we have now established the necessary foundations on which a durable peace can be built," Parfait Onanga-Anyanga told the Security Council.
Such an objective is indeed achievable provided that the region and the international community remain in solidarity with the collective support for the government and people of the CAR, said the envoy, who is also head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country.
The general security situation has been brought under control. Democratic elections have been held and constitutional order has been restored. State authority is re-establishing itself in Bangui and beyond, he said.
But he warned that the country still faces many challenges.
Conflict factors remain and attacks against civilians continue, resulting in massive displacement of the population. Half of the country still needs humanitarian assistance, and the provision of such assistance is becoming increasingly difficult, partly because of the violent attacks on peacekeepers and aid workers, said Onanga-Anyanga.
Together with the Central Africans, the international community must help move the country from a phase of containment to one of transformation, where the dividends of peace can be felt by all communities and all citizens, he said.
The CAR has been in civil war since 2012, which is being fought along religious and ethnic lines, primarily between Christian anti-Balaka militia and Muslim Seleka groups.
