Countries emerging from repressive rule or conflict choose various tools to achieve peace and stability. The path each country takes to achieve stability reflects the degree to which peace can be achieved and sustained. The Central African Republic, which has been referred to as a phantom state or a failed state, has a long history of hostilities and repressive regimes, characterised by military coups, rebel activities, despotic leadership and protracted conflict since its independence from France in 1960. To achieve peace, various leaders of the Central African Republic (CAR) resorted to negotiating and signing peace agreements with the opposition and various armed rebel groups. Between 1997 and 2019, over ten peace agreements have been concluded in the country, with the mediation of international organisations and heads of state. These agreements contain provisions for the cessation of hostilities, amnesties, a call for rebel movements to drop their weapons and disband, and the formation of a national unity government.
Despite the numerous peace agreements signed, CAR civilians are yet to enjoy peace as violence persists. The denial of peace despite the signing of peace deals is accounted for by the following factors: the adoption of impunity through blanket amnesties or inclusion of armed groups leaders into the government, thereby side-lining justice and accountability; the lack of political will by various leaders in the aftermath of peace deals to implement their provisions, and persistent disunity by various actors in the peace agreement, rooted in a history of mistrust. Between 1997 and 2019, 61.5% of the peace deals concluded in the CAR did not result in effective power sharing, causing conflict relapse.
With various issues preventing successful previous peace agreements, it is crucial for the country and other peace stakeholders to develop more effective strategies for achieving peace. One such approach could involve power sharing between the central government and local authorities through political and administrative decentralisation, which could significantly reduce the underlying conflict drivers. Decentralisation creates space for political participation at the community and state levels, promoting democracy, upholding political efficacy, and enhancing local participation in governance. Lack of political representation has constituted the basis for the birth of some armed groups. Another solution to the failed peace deals is a decentralised approach to implementing peace agreements. Peace has hardly been achieved in the aftermath of violence because the local population considers its implementation elitist and limited, excluding the masses who are the most impacted when peace fails. Decentralising the structures for implementing peace agreements will encourage local participation and promote ownership of the process, thereby increasing the likelihood of local support.
Moreover, consistent dialogue with armed groups and public communication after peace deals are two other tools that can help maintain peace. In the CAR, the absence of consistent dialogue between the government and the armed groups has been a significant factor in the failure of peace agreements as it raises suspicion and mistrust. As such, the government and armed groups in the context of a peace agreement need to agree on regular meetings regularly at the committee level to monitor the peace agreement and at the top elite level. Also, the lack of public communication regarding the peace agreements and implementation strategies has caused CAR citizens to perceive the agreements with skepticism. The failed peace deals in the CAR have left the population in trauma. This article has identified some contributory factors to the persistent failure of the peace agreements and made suggestions for implementing peace in the aftermath of such agreements in the CAR.
Robert Kosho Ndiyun
Robert Kosho Ndiyun is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Tshwane University of Technology. He was previously a PhD researcher at the Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Johannesburg, South Africa. His research focuses on transitional justice in conflict and post conflict situations. He also Lectured at International University Bamenda in Cameroon, Heritage Higher Institute of Peace and Development Studies Yaoundé, and Higher Institute of Educational and Professional Studies, Yaoundé.
