Equipo Nizkor - Agreement between the Transitional Government and the armed groups on the principles of disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation and of integration into the uniformed State forces of the Central African Republic.

Preamble

Considering the Constitutional Charter for the Transition of 18 July 2013;

Bearing in mind the continued commitment of Her Excellency Ms. Catherine Samba-Panza, Head of State of the Transition, to promote dialogue and reconciliation among all the sons and daughters of the Central African Republic and to safeguard the integrity of the national territory, as reiterated in her address to the nation on 4 July 2014;

In the light of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement signed on 23 July 2014 in Brazzaville by the unconventional armed groups in the Central African Republic;

In the light of the policy statement signed by the participants in the Brazzaville Forum;

Bearing in mind the Commitment Agreement between the Government and the politico-military groups, signed in Bangui on 23 April 2015;

Bearing in mind the pledge of 5 May 2015, signed by the politico -military groups that participated in the Bangui Forum, to end the recruitment and use of children and other serious violations of the rights of the child;

Bearing in mind the commitment of all political and civil society actors in the Central African Republic to achieve peace;

Bearing in mind the commitment of the international community and the global support for the Bangui Forum agreements;

In the light of the recommendations made under the "peace and security" thematic cluster of the Bangui National Forum;

Firmly resolved to strengthen the rule of law and build a national army inclusive of all segments of Central African society;

The Transitional Government of the Central African Republic and the aforementioned armed groups, in the presence of the political establishment, civil society and the international community, agree as follows:

Article 1

The combatants affiliated with all the armed groups agree and solemnly undertake, before the people of the Central African Republic, to put a definitive end to the armed conflicts in the Central African Republic.

The combatants affiliated with those armed groups formally undertake to lay down their weapons, renounce armed struggle as a means of political advocacy, participate in a disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation programme, and engage in political competition as defined in the present Agreement.

Article 2

The present Agreement provides for the disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation of combatants affiliated with all the armed groups operating in the territory of the Central African Republic.

Article 3

The eligibility criteria for participation in the disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation programme are as follows:

1. Combatants must be members of the armed groups signatories to the present Agreement.

2. Combatants must surrender all working or non-working military weapons, explosives, mines and other military items in their possession.

3. Children associated with armed forces and groups are eligible for the disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation programme, whether or not they have weapons.

Article 4

All former combatants and former armed elements signatories to the present Agreement shall assemble within a reasonable time period, subject to the mobilization of the necessary resources, at sites to be agreed upon with the Transitional Government and the international community. During this time, such former combatants and armed elements shall be the responsibility of the Government with the support of its partners.

Before the elections, and pending the mobilization of the necessary resources for the disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation process, the combatants shall present themselves at specific sites, where they will be informed, identified, regrouped, disarmed and cared for during the process.

Article 5

Bearing in mind the Commitment Agreement between the Government and the politico-military groups, the disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation programme shall comprise the following tasks, to be conducted at the sites to which candidates for the process will report:

1. First, children associated with the politico -military groups will be identified, irrespective of whether or not they have a functioning weapon in their possession, with a view to redirecting them immediately to specific government programmes, with the support of partners;

2. The second task will be to verify whether each candidate meets the eligibility criteria;

3. Eligible combatants will then be identified and registered in a database. They will receive a demobilization card. At this stage, women will be separated from men. Women shall have the same opportunities;

4. Eligible combatants will be made aware of and informed about the content of the national disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation plan. They may choose to be reintegrated into the community or to volunteer to become provisional members of the uniformed State forces under the conditions set out in article 4 of the present Agreement;

5. Combatants who choose to be reintegrated into the community will be transferred to their host communities with a basic support package, and will participate with other community members in community development programmes that generate training and employment opportunities, as part of the community reintegration programme.

Article 6

The national disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation programme shall be restricted exclusively to eligible combatants. Ineligible combatants, primarily unarmed combatants, shall be transferred to their communities of origin and included in the following specific programmes:

1. The national income-generation programme for combatants and at-risk youth, carried out nationwide and supported by the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), the United Nations Development Programme and other partners;

2. The community violence reduction programmes supported by MINUSCA and development partners;

3. The reconstruction and development programmes set up by the Government and the international community;

4. The Government and the leaders of the politico-military groups, together with MINUSCA and other partners, will coordinate donor-funded programmes to promote the social reinsertion of former combatants.

Article 7

Some former combatants participating in the disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation programme will be integrated into the uniformed State forces. The recruitment capacity of these forces shall be established under the new law on military programming and security sector reform.

Integration into the uniformed forces shall be undertaken gradually and on a case-by-case basis. It shall be governed by criteria of professionalism and fairness and shall be aimed at rebuilding the country's security institutions.

Integration will be possible only after a transparent verification process supported by the international community.

Former combatants who volunteer to join the uniformed forces but do not pass national recruitment tests shall be redirected to the community reintegration programmes.

Article 8

Combatants who are identified as foreigners and who have not committed war crimes in the Central African Republic shall be repatriated to their countries of origin. The Government, with the support of MINUSCA and other partners, shall establish international contacts with a view to the repatriation of foreign combatants.

Article 9

The institutional and coordination framework for the disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation programme shall be set up by the Government and shall include representatives of the armed groups, civil society and the international community.

A monitoring and evaluation mechanism shall be established along the same lines.

Article 10

The present Agreement shall enter into force upon signature and shall be widely publicized, as necessary.

Done at Bangui on 10 May 2015

Signed:

(Signed) Mr. Abel Balenguele
Deputy Coordinator
Front populaire pour la renaissance
de la Centrafrique (Signed) Mr. Herbert Gontran Djono Ahaba
President
Rassemblement patriotique pour
le renouveau de la Centrafrique

(Signed) Mr. Landa Nzengue
President
Union des forces républicaines
fondamentales (Signed) General Mohamed Dhaffane
President
Séléka rénovée

(Signed) Mr. Larry Nordine Mahalba
Spokesperson
Mouvement des libérateurs centrafricains
pour la justice (Signed) Mr. Marcel Bagaza
Representative
Front démocratique pour le progrès
de la Centrafrique

(Signed) Mr. Patrice Edouard Ngaïssona
General Coordinator
Coordination des ex-combattants
anti-Balaka (Signed) Mr. Souleymane Daouda
Political Adviser
Unité du peuple centrafricain

(Signed) Mr. Armel Ningatouloum Sayo
President
Révolution et justice (Signed) Mr. Philippe Wagramalé Ndoto
President
Union des forces républicaines

Signed:
For the Presidium of the Bangui National Forum
(Signed) Abdoulaye Bathily
For the Transitional Government
(Signed) Marie Noelle Koyara
For the national stakeholders
(Signed) Gerard Lakosso
For the observers
- Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations
(Signed) Babacar Gaye
- Special Representative of the African Union
(Signed) [Illegible signature]
- Special Representative of the President of the Republic of the Congo and International Mediator in the crisis in Central African Republic
(Signed) Basile Ikouebe
- Representative of the Economic Community of Central African States
(Signed) [Illegible signature]

10May15

Agreement between the Transitional Government and the armed groups on the principles of disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation and of integration into the uniformed State forces of the Central African Republic

[Source: United Nations Department of Political Affairs, New York, USA]

Legislation
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Signed:
(Signed) Mr. Abel Balenguele Deputy Coordinator Front populaire pour la renaissance de la Centrafrique	(Signed) Mr. Herbert Gontran Djono Ahaba President Rassemblement patriotique pour le renouveau de la Centrafrique
(Signed) Mr. Landa Nzengue President Union des forces républicaines fondamentales	(Signed) General Mohamed Dhaffane President Séléka rénovée
(Signed) Mr. Larry Nordine Mahalba Spokesperson Mouvement des libérateurs centrafricains pour la justice	(Signed) Mr. Marcel Bagaza Representative Front démocratique pour le progrès de la Centrafrique
(Signed) Mr. Patrice Edouard Ngaïssona General Coordinator Coordination des ex-combattants anti-Balaka	(Signed) Mr. Souleymane Daouda Political Adviser Unité du peuple centrafricain
(Signed) Mr. Armel Ningatouloum Sayo President Révolution et justice	(Signed) Mr. Philippe Wagramalé Ndoto President Union des forces républicaines
Signed: For the Presidium of the Bangui National Forum (Signed) Abdoulaye Bathily For the Transitional Government (Signed) Marie Noelle Koyara For the national stakeholders (Signed) Gerard Lakosso For the observers - Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations (Signed) Babacar Gaye - Special Representative of the African Union (Signed) [Illegible signature] - Special Representative of the President of the Republic of the Congo and International Mediator in the crisis in Central African Republic (Signed) Basile Ikouebe - Representative of the Economic Community of Central African States (Signed) [Illegible signature]