Joint Communique (Agreement of Ippy)

  • Country/entity
    Central African Republic
  • Region
    Africa (excl MENA)
  • Agreement name
    Joint Communique (Agreement of Ippy)
  • Date
    6 Oct 2017
  • Agreement status
    Multiparty signed/agreed
  • Interim arrangement
    Yes
  • Agreement/conflict level
    Intrastate/local conflict ( Central African Republic Conflicts (1996 - ) )
  • Stage
    Ceasefire/related
  • Conflict nature
    Inter-group
  • Peace process
    CAR: Local Processes
  • Parties
    Representatives of the various CNDS, UPC, RDR armed groups, operating in the Haute-Koto and the Waka areas.
  • Third parties
    -
  • Description
    The agreement is comprised of the joint declaration and not accompanying report. The parties commit to a cessation of hostilities and other actions to end conflict in the joint declaration. Later UN reports record the date as the 9 October but the date on the photograph of the original seems to be clearly the 6 October 2017


Local agreement properties

  • Process type
    Formal structured process
  • Rationale
    The report on the series of meetings held to reach the agreement describes a formalized process initiated by leaders of the politico-military groups between the 2nd and the 6th of October 2017. The reconciliation initiative was also attended by a representative of the MINUSCA.
  • Is there a documented link to a national peace process?
    Yes
  • Link to national process: articulated rationale
    Page 1, We, representatives of the various CNDS, UPC, RDR armed groups, operating in the Haute-Koto and the Waka areas, solemnly undertake at the end of the meeting to: [...] - Foster action by MINUSCA
  • Name of Locale
    Haute-Koto and the Waka areas
  • Nature Of Locale
    Region
  • GPS Lat/Long (DD)
    7.066188, 22.052061
  • Participant type
    Local armed group
  • Mediator, facilitator or similar
    No mention of mediator or similar

Local issues

  • Ritual/prayer and process (including use of scripture)

    No specific mention.

  • Grievance List

    No specific mention.

  • Cattle rustling/banditry

    No specific mention.

  • Social cover

    No specific mention.


Joint Communiqué

We, representatives of the various CNDS, UPC, RDR armed groups, operating in the Haute-Koto and the Waka areas, solemnly undertake at the end of the meeting to:

- Definitively cease all hostility

- End all attacks and abuse against the civilian population

- Work towards the return of lasting peace, cohesion, and cohabitation

- Facilitate the free movement of people and goods in the prefectures of Haute-Koto, Waka, and Basse-Koto

- Encourage the resumption of academic activities in Haute-Koto and Waka.

- Facilitate the return of IDPs to their respective neighborhoods.

- Adhere to the process of dialogue and reconciliation

- Foster the free movement of humanitarian personnel

- Foster action by MINUSCA

- [ILLEGIBLE]

Done at IPPY on October 06, 2017

Signatory parties:

The rapporteur

The president of the [ILLEGIBLE]

REPORT ON THE RECONCILIATION MEETING BETWEEN ARMED GROUPS

Within the framework of the search for peace, social cohesion, and cohabitation selected by the Central Africans, his excellence Mr. ABDOULAYE ISSENE RAMADAN, in his capacity as President of the National Defense and Security Council, and an urgent request from the Head of the UPC, General Ali DARASSA, initiated the meeting between the members of the CNDS, encapsulating the FPRC, MPC, and RPRC movements, and the UPC, represented by the political coordinator Mr. HASSAN BMIBA and the RDR of General GAETAN BLADE.

Thus from the arrival of the members of the CNDS delegation on 02-10-2017, several meetings were held successively, with the President of the Special Delegation of the city of IPPY, the Deputy [ILLEGIBLE] and [ILLEGIBLE] of IPPY, as well as the youth president.

[ILLEGIBLE PARAGRAPH]

Thus, on the evening of 05-10-2017, the UPC delegation arrived at IPPY.

The following day 06-10-2017, a meeting gathering all the armed groups operating in WAKA, BASSE-KOTTO, and HAUTE-KOTTO was held in the BOUMOU district at the residence of the delegation, from 9:15 am to 1:30 pm.

After having eloquently exchanged on the misdeeds of the conflicts which oppose them, and recognized on both sides their respective faults, pardons were formulated and accepted.

All participants affirmed that they were not enemies but rather brothers and friends, to put an end to the armed struggle between the UPC, the CNDS, and the RDR.

Confessions were issued, following the example of HASSAN BOUBA, Political Coordinator of the UPC, by communicating the message of Ali DARASSA [ILLEGIBLE SECTION]

Junior KENGUEMBA, while praising the reconciliation initiative, requested a direct and sincere discussion with General Ali DARASSA.

As a symbol of forgiveness, and to prove their sincerity and commitment to peace, Junior KENGUEMBA and HASSAN BOUBA exchanged their bottles of water in front of the audience.

As for the Representative of MINUSCA, very pleased to see the sons and daughters of the country reconcile and reach solutions to their problems, thanked the armed groups for this initiative of dialogue and reconciliation.

He also added that armed groups must stick only to their original demands, and to dialogue solely with the state - not to attack civilians as was often the case.

[ILLEGIBLE SECTION]

[…] the stakeholders is to prepare an attack on Bambaire or launch an offensive on the capital Bangui in order to take control.

It was after a rocky and heated debate that a joint communiqué was drawn up.

Done at IPPY on 06-10-2017