The United Nations Security Council has unanimously voted to extend the mandate of its peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) until 15 November 2027, as the country continues efforts to consolidate security and strengthen state institutions.

The resolution, drafted by France, renews the mission's mandate while adjusting its operational priorities to reflect progress made and the evolving security situation in the country.

Speaking before the vote, France's Ambassador to the UN, Jérôme Bonnafont, said the resolution provides a framework for MINUSCA to consolidate its achievements, adjust its troop levels and continue supporting the Central African government, particularly in border areas.

The mission will also support the deployment of national security forces, including a pilot project for a garrison army, alongside efforts to promote disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration, combat impunity and uphold human rights.

Following the vote, Liberia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Lewis Garseedah Brown II, speaking on behalf of Liberia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia, stressed that the transition of responsibilities from the UN mission to national institutions must be properly resourced.

“As responsibilities are transferred, the United Nations country team and national institutions need the resources and capacity to carry them out. A task handed over must remain a task delivered. We reaffirm our support for the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Central African Republic.”

Brown II also warned that the UN's ongoing liquidity crisis must not undermine the implementation of MINUSCA's mandate, urging member states to pay their assessed contributions in full and on time.

For the Central African Republic, the extension represents an important opportunity to sustain international support while gradually strengthening its own capacity to maintain peace and security.

The country's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Marius Aristide Hoja Nzessioue, welcomed the mission's contribution, describing MINUSCA as an example of the tangible value of UN peacekeeping.

“We are convinced that MINUSCA is among those operations that best demonstrates the tangible utility of peacekeeping, not because everything is solved, but because it is helping to make possible a solution to a crisis which seemed out of reach. And we hope that the CAR experience will become a textbook case of a successful transition, not one of a Mission that left too early, but rather one of a Mission that was able to adapt its presence, pass on its responsibilities, and leave behind institutions that are capable of preserving peace. That would be a success for the Central African Republic, and it would also be a success for the United Nations and for this Council.”

Established in 2014, MINUSCA has played a central role in supporting peace and stability in the Central African Republic, including protecting civilians, assisting the extension of state authority and supporting political and security reforms.

The latest mandate extension underscores the Security Council's continued commitment to the country, while highlighting the importance of a carefully managed transition that ensures national institutions can sustain the gains made.

As the mission prepares for another year of operations, the challenge will be to ensure that the transfer of responsibilities does not create security gaps, but instead leaves behind stronger institutions capable of preserving lasting peace.