Central African Republic
EU mission could be too little, too late
Commenting on today's EU council of foreign ministers and the decision on an EU mission to the Central African Republic, Green security spokesperson Tarja Cronberg said:
"The decision on sending an EU 'bridging operation' to the Bangui area of the Central African Republic (CAR) is welcome but it risks being too little, too late.
"It is regrettable it has taken so long for the EU and its member states to agree and launch this mission, with 100,000s displaced by the crisis and around 2 million of the 4.6 million population in need of humanitarian assistance. Sending around 500 soldiers to Bangui will not be enough to protect the entire population under threat and to provide safe havens, as outlined in the EU planning document. If the EU wants to uphold its values and norms, it should do its utmost to prevent genocide. The EU should also invest in mediation and dialogue and work on a framework for negotiations aimed at finding a political solution to the severe security and humanitarian crisis in the country."
