UNIDIR defines WAM in a comprehensive manner covering the oversight, accountability and governance of conventional arms and ammunition throughout their management cycle, including the establishment of relevant national frameworks, processes and practices for the safe and secure production and acquisition of materiel, stockpiling, transfers, end use control, tracing and disposal. This holistic approach is essential in ensuring that efforts to better regulate arms and ammunition are undertaken in alignment with broader security sector, rule of law, armed violence reduction, counter-terrorism, and peacebuilding processes, and not in isolation. 

This country insight presents key findings of the national WAM baseline follow-up assessment conducted in April 2022 by the Government of the Central African Republic (CAR), via the designated national lead entity, the Commission nationale de Lutte contre la Prolifération des Armes Légères et de Petit Calibre (ComNat-ALPC) in cooperation with and with technical assistance from the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), with the organisational and logistical support of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the CAR (MINUSCA). The publication draws from the comprehensive baseline follow-up assessment report transmitted by UNIDIR to the Government of CAR in August 2022 and sheds light on the progress made in WAM since the first baseline assessment in 2017, the existing institutional and operational capacities, challenges faced by the Central African authorities at the strategic and operational levels and options for further strengthening the national framework governing the life-cycle management of weapons and ammunition in CAR.

The Country Insight covers the period up to April 2022 and does not reflect or take into account more recent changes and developments including with regards to WAM in CAR since April 2022. Nevertheless, most of the main findings as well as the identified options to further strengthening WAM in CAR remain relevant and valid. 

UNIDIR encourages the community of states, regional and sub-regional organisations and relevant international partners to consult this CAR WAM Country Insight, as well as its Country Insight and Annual WAM Update series, as a basis for strengthening WAM policies and practices at different levels as well as planning, implementing and evaluating future programmes and projects related to WAM, and related areas, in CAR and other respective African States.

TRANSLATIONS

Français: La Gestion des Armes et des Munitions - Série d’Aperçu de Pays : La République Centrafricaine

Citation: Conventional Arms and Ammunition Programme (2023) "Weapons and Ammunition Management Country Insight: Central African Republic", UNIDIR, Geneva, Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.37559/CAAP/23/WAM/01