Mandated to protect civilians and support transition processes in the Central African Republic

Concerned with the security, humanitarian, human rights and political crisis in the Central African Republic and its regional implications, the Security Council authorized on 10 April 2014 deployment of a multidimensional United Nations peacekeeping operation – MINUSCA, with the protection of civilians as its utmost priority. Its other initial tasks included support for the transition process; facilitating humanitarian assistance; promotion and protection of human rights; support for justice and the rule of law; and disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation processes.

MINUSCA subsumed the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central African Republic (BINUCA) on the date of the establishment. On 15 September 2014, the African-led International Support Mission in the Central African Republic (MISCA) transferred its authority over to MINUSCA, in accordance with resolution 2149 (2014).

MINUSCA established

On 10 April, the Security Council, by its resolution 2149 (2104), established the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) for an initial period until 30 April 2015 and requested the Secretary-General to subsume BINUCA in the new mission from the date of adoption of that resolution. It further requested the Secretary-General to ensure a seamless transition from BINUCA to MINUSCA.

It decided that, as of 15 September 2014, MINUSCA will initially comprise of 10,000 military personnel, including 240 military observers and 200 staff officers and 1,800 police personnel, including 1400 formed police unit personnel and 400 individual police officers, and 20 corrections officers.

Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, the Security Council authorized MINUSCA to take all necessary means to carry out its mandate, within its capabilities and its areas of deployment.

The Council requested the Secretary-General, in consultation with the AU, to deploy a transition team to set up MINUSCA and prepare the seamless transition of authority from MISCA to MINUSCA by 15 September 2014, as well as to appoint a Special Representative for the Central African Republic and Head of Mission of MINUSCA, who shall, from the date of appointment, assume overall authority on the ground for the coordination of all activities of the United Nations system in the Central African Republic.

In accordance with the decision of the Council, the official transfer of authority from MISCA to MINUSCA took place on 15 September 2014. In the period preceding this transfer of authority, MINUSCA implemented the mandated tasks through its civilian component, while MISCA continued to implement its tasks as mandated by Security Council resolution 2127 (2013). MINUSCA commenced the implementation of the mandated tasks through its military and police components on 15 September [see Mandate for details on the civilian, military and police tasks].

By other provisions of the resolution, the Security Council authorized French forces, within the limits of their capacities and areas of deployment, from the commencement of the activities of MINUSCA until the end of MINUSCA’s mandate, to use all necessary means to provide operational support to elements of MINUSCA from the date of adoption of this resolution, at the request of the Secretary-General.