A new United Nations report has brought to light severe human rights abuses occurring in detention centers across the Central African Republic (CAR).
The report, released on Thursday, July 18 calls for immediate measures to tackle issues such as torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary arrests and detentions, malnutrition, and inadequate healthcare.
The report provides disturbing accounts, including an incident in August 2023 where elements of the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) unlawfully arrested and detained 11 men in Obo (Haut-Mbomou) following an attack on an FACA member.
The detainees were suspected of involvement in the attack and were confined in a container near the FACA base, where gendarmes interrogated them under harsh conditions.
“The 11 men were subjected to inhumane treatment during their arrest and the five days they spent in the container. They had no access to toilets or sufficient water despite the intense heat of the container and were only able to receive food through the holes in the container by certain FACA elements who seemed to disassociate themselves from the treatment inflicted by their colleagues.”
UN report
Furthermore, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) and the UN Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) have documented thousands of individuals being held in overcrowded facilities with limited access to essential resources like food, water, sanitation, and healthcare.
This alarming situation underscores the urgent need for reforms.
A Crucial Opportunity for Reform
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed deep concern over the findings and urged national authorities to take swift and concrete action.
He highlighted that ongoing reforms in the penitentiary system present a crucial opportunity for CAR to address these human rights violations.
The report, covering the period from January to December 2023, outlines numerous deficiencies, including non-compliance with legal custody time limits, excessive pre-trial detention, and overall dire prison conditions.
Despite these challenges, the report acknowledges some progress made by the authorities.
A troubling pattern of illegal and arbitrary arrests and detentions by army and security forces has been identified, affecting over 1,500 people in 2023 alone.
By the end of the year, 1,749 individuals were in detention awaiting trial, some for nearly six years.
The report raises concerns about the issuance of detention orders without proper examination of whether incarceration was necessary and proportionate to the alleged crimes.
Disease Outbreaks and Inadequate Conditions
Malnutrition, inadequate healthcare, and poor hygiene conditions have led to disease outbreaks in prisons.
The report calls for sufficient resources to meet detainees’ basic needs and urges authorities to respect legal time limits for detention, emphasizing that pre-trial detention should be the exception, justified solely by principles of necessity and proportionality.
High Commissioner Türk also called for prompt and independent investigations into all cases of torture and ill-treatment, stressing the need for accountability.
He appealed to all partners to support the Government in improving detention conditions.
Government Efforts and UN Support
Both High Commissioner Türk and MINUSCA Head Valentine Rugwabiza acknowledged the Government’s efforts to improve human rights in detention.
These efforts include more frequent court sessions, the renovation and reopening of three prisons in 2023, and the recruitment of additional prison staff.
In support of these initiatives, they pledged continued UN assistance to the Government to enhance respect for human rights and the rule of law in CAR, particularly in relation to the detention system.
The report underscores the importance of addressing these critical issues to ensure the protection and dignity of detainees, marking a pivotal moment for reform in the Central African Republic.
