UN chief: CAR peacekeeping force needs 3,700 reinforcements

The UN chief says 2,750 military reinforcements and 940 additional police are needed to help the peacekeeping mission.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is recommending an increase of nearly 3,700 soldiers and police to bolster the UN peacekeeping force in the Central African Republic (CAR), saying the conflict-torn country is at “a critical juncture”. The UN chief said in a report obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press that 2,750 military reinforcements and 940 additional police are needed to help the peacekeeping mission known as MINUSCA prevent “further deterioration in the security situation while creating space for the political process to advance”. Guterres’ recommendations, which would bring the ceiling for military personnel to 14,400 and for police to 3,020, must be approved by the UN Security Council.