They previously agitated for change through taking up arms; they will now be demanding for progress through the ballot box – thanks to civic education on elections organized by the MINUSCA Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Section and Electoral Division, UNOPS and the National Elections Authority (ANE) from 14 to 17 December in Bangui.

Civic education for peaceful elections was at the heart of the sessions targeting 600 beneficiaries of MINUSCA’sCommunity Violence Reduction (CVR) programme, including 400 former members of self-defense groups, among them 267 women, as well as 200 community members – all from the PK5 neighbourhood of Bangui’s 3^rd district – a perennial hotspot for clashes between various groups in the past. 

The theater group Polele Ti-Be Afrika kicked off the training, using a comedy sketch to tell the story of a disgruntled young man who urges his community to boycott the elections in protest of his candidacy being annulled for not meeting the eligibility requirements. His peers disagree, calling for the respect of the electoral process so that peace may return to the Central African Republic (CAR). Through song and dance, they decried the cycle of coup that have held the country back, and hailed peaceful, democratic electoral processes for peace.

Albert Mbaya, the ANE Director of Communication said the objective was “to educate former combatants on their rights and duties as citizens”. Several themes were explored by the ANE experts: why vote, the causes and prevention of election violence, the rules and regulations governing elections. 

Zephyrin Kaya, a civic education trainer led a session on the electoral penal code, exploring the 52 violations of the 2019 law on the Central African Electoral Code. “It is important for the public to have knowledge on penalties for election-related violations to avoid falling into judicial traps like voting twice or voting with someone else’s card,” he noted. Participants were further warned against other illegal acts - carrying weapons or alcohol on the voting premises, threatening electoral agents as well as intimidating other voters.

Moussa Hassabarassoul, Coordinator for the PK5 Local Committee for Peace urged participants to beware of manipulation during election campaigns. “We want to be part of the electoral process and the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation (APPR) in a meaningful way. Without peace, nothing can be done,” he said. 

The civic education sessions are part of a three-month practical training package for CVR programme beneficiaries to ease their transition from fighters to civilians, in addition to training in various trades of their choice, including mechanics, driving, computer science and commerce. 

CVR beneficiary Perline Sendoya had not planned on voting, lamenting the fact that elections changed nothing for her in the past. The training inspired a change of heart: “I have been encouraged to exercise my civic duty and take part in the polls – not to choose a person – but rather a set of ideas on how the candidates will help develop our country.” New-found knowledge that she would be passing on to her community.

Organizers hope that spreading the word on effecting change through peaceful elections rather than the barrel of the gun – differing political views notwithstanding – will help foster a culture of peace and social cohesion in Central Africa.