UNITED NATIONS, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The lifting of the arms embargo against the Central African Republic (CAR) will provide meaningful support to the CAR government in building up its security capacity and promoting the peace process, a Chinese envoy said on Tuesday.
In recent years, the CAR government has registered steady progress in political and peace processes and achieved positive development in improving governance, promoting peace, and maintaining security and stability, said Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, in his explanation of vote on the UN Security Council resolution on sanctions against the CAR.
"The efforts made by the CAR government on those fronts are widely recognized and China expresses its appreciation," Dai said.
The resolution adopted by the council on Tuesday lifts the arms embargo against the CAR and lays out new sanction measures against armed groups, he said. "This adjustment represents a positive response to the reasonable concerns of the government and people of the CAR, and will provide meaningful support to the CAR government in building up its security capacity and promoting the peace process."
"Based on this position, China voted in favor of the draft resolution," the envoy said.
Noting that the Security Council's CAR sanctions regime was established over 10 years ago, Dai said the current political and security situation in the country has undergone tremendous positive changes.
He said that in recent years, the arms embargo failed to completely prevent armed groups from obtaining weapons through illegal channels, and instead, has led to the stigmatization of the CAR, hampering the access of the CAR government to international financing, affecting the country's trade ties with other states, and even undermining its overall peace-building, development, and revitalization efforts.
While the resolution constitutes another important step toward the complete lifting of sanctions against the CAR, the text still retains a number of restrictive measures, Dai said, adding: "Completely lifting sanctions is a strong aspiration of the government and people of the CAR and has received staunch support from countries and organizations in the region."
"We support the Security Council to respect and take seriously as always the concerns voiced by the CAR, take further actions in a timely manner according to the development of the situation and in response to the needs of the ground, review, adjust, and lift inapplicable and unreasonable sanction measures, and create more favorable conditions for the CAR and the region to achieve peace, stability, development, and prosperity," the envoy stressed.
The Security Council on Tuesday lifted the arms embargo on the CAR, but decided that, until July 31, 2025, all UN member states shall take the necessary measures to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer of arms and related material of all types to armed groups and associated individuals operating in that country.
The Security Council imposed an arms embargo on the CAR in 2013, urging all member states to take the necessary measures to prevent the supply of arms and related material and provision of mercenaries to the country. ■
