GENEVA/BANGUI - Urgent and concrete action is required to ensure respect for human rights in places of detention in the Central African Republic (CAR), where torture and ill-treatment, illegal and arbitrary arrest and detention, malnutrition and poor healthcare are prevalent, a UN report issued today says.

Thousands are currently held in overcrowded places of detention across the country, with limited access to food, water, sanitation and basic healthcare, says the report by the UN Human Rights Office and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).

“The findings of this report are worrying and require urgent and concrete actions from national authorities,” said UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk. “Ongoing reforms in the penitentiary system offer an important opportunity for the Central African Republic to address these human rights violations.”  

The report, which was shared with the Government for comment, covers the period from January to December 2023, and lists various shortcomings, such as the failure to comply with legal time limits for police custody, recourse to pre-trial detention and poor conditions of detention, as well as the challenges faced by the judicial system. It also highlights key areas of progress by the authorities.

The report details a pattern of illegal and arbitrary arrests and detention by army and security forces in the CAR, with more than 1,500 people subjected to such practices in 2023. Additionally, by the end of 2023, 1,749 detainees were awaiting trial in prison, some for nearly six years, the report says. It highlights concerns that detention orders have been issued without adequate examination of whether the detention of the individual in question was necessary and proportionate to the alleged offence.  

Malnutrition, lack of proper healthcare and poor hygiene conditions have led to outbreaks of diseases in prisons, says the report, calling for sufficient resources to provide for the essential needs of detainees.

The report further calls on the authorities to comply fully with legal time limits restricting detention, and highlights that pre-trial detention should remain exceptional, justified by necessity and proportionate to the circumstances.

Türk also called on the authorities to carry out prompt and independent investigations in all cases of torture and ill-treatment, and to hold those responsible to account. He urged all partners to support the Government to improve conditions in places of detention.

The High Commissioner and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of MINUSCA, Valentine Rugwabiza, recognise the Government’s efforts to address human rights challenges linked to detention. These include holding more frequent criminal court sessions, renovating and reopening three prisons in 2023, and recruiting more penitentiary personnel.

In this regard, the High Commissioner and the Special Representative pledged continued UN support to the Government to enhance the respect of human rights and the rule of law in CAR, including in places of detention.

ANALYSIS OF DEPRIVATION OF LIBERTY IN THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: CURRENT SITUATION, CHALLENGES, AND RESPONSES