UN Report Calls for Action to Address Violations in CAR Detention Facilities

“The findings of this report are deeply concerning and demand urgent and concrete actions from national authorities,” said UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk.

The Central African Republic (CAR) faces a critical human rights crisis in its detention facilities, according to a new report from the UN Human Rights Office and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). The report highlights severe issues, including torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary arrests, malnutrition, and inadequate healthcare.

Thousands of individuals are currently held in overcrowded detention centers with limited access to essential resources such as food, water, sanitation, and healthcare. The report, which covers the period from January to December 2023, details a range of human rights abuses, including violations of legal time limits for police custody, excessive pre-trial detention, and overall poor conditions.

“The findings of this report are deeply concerning and demand urgent and concrete actions from national authorities,” said UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk. “The ongoing reforms in the penitentiary system present a crucial opportunity for the Central African Republic to address these human rights violations.”

The report reveals that over 1,500 people experienced illegal and arbitrary arrests and detentions by army and security forces in 2023. By the end of the year, 1,749 detainees were awaiting trial, with some having been detained for nearly six years. It highlights the issuance of detention orders without adequate justification regarding the necessity and proportionality of detaining individuals.

Detention conditions are exacerbated by malnutrition, insufficient healthcare, and poor hygiene, leading to outbreaks of disease. The report calls for increased resources to meet the essential needs of detainees and emphasizes that pre-trial detention should be exceptional, justified only by necessity and proportional to the alleged offence.

Türk urged the CAR government to conduct prompt and independent investigations into all cases of torture and ill-treatment, holding those responsible accountable. He also called on international partners to support the CAR government in improving detention conditions.

The High Commissioner and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of MINUSCA, Valentine Rugwabiza, acknowledged the government’s recent efforts, including more frequent criminal court sessions, the renovation and reopening of three prisons in 2023, and the recruitment of additional penitentiary personnel. They pledged continued UN support to enhance human rights and the rule of law in CAR, particularly in places of detention.