The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in the Central African Republic (CAR), Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, has called for an immediate cessation of violence affecting certain regions in accordance with the agreement signed on Monday in Rome between the Government of CAR and representatives of the 14 Central African armed groups. The Special Representative emphasizes that the agreement lays down "the foundations for lasting peace and stability in CAR".

"We know that much remains to be done. It is vital that the cease-fire agreed upon by the parties comes into force immediately to free the populations and the many regions of the country that are still suffering from armed violence," the Special Representative said in a speech during the opening ceremony in Bangui of the 7th meeting of Technical and Financial Partners of the CAR. Onanga-Anyanga recalled that the recent violence has left more than 300 people dead and hundreds injured, including peacekeepers in southeast CAR. "This violence has also forced more than 100,000 people to flee inside the country and more than 20,000 others to seek refuge in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The total number of internally displaced persons has therefore surpassed the 500,000 mark," he said.

The Special Representative believes, however, that the Rome Agreement makes it possible to envisage the future with additional optimism, "confident that by virtue of the inter-Central African dialogue the daughters and sons of this beautiful country will be able to take their own destiny in their hands". To this end, he congratulated the Central African authorities and people for the signing of the Rome Agreement, under the aegis of the Community of Sant'Egidio.

The Special Representative commended the Italian Government and the Community of Sant'Egidio for its mediation and emphasized the role of the African Union, the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), will play in the implementation of this Agreement.