Assistant Secretary-General Martha Pobee's Remarks to the Security Council on the situation in Central Africa and the activities of UNOCA
New York, 9 June 2026
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Madam President, Excellencies, Distinguished members of the Security Council,
It is an honour for me to brief you on the situation in Central Africa and the activities of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) further to the report of the Secretary-General as contained in document S/2026/445.
Since our last briefing, the sub-region has passed important milestones. These included the holding of critical elections and progress in institutional reforms. The main sub-regional organization, the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), has shown encouraging signs of its deep commitment to sustaining peace in the sub-region. Yet, these achievements have unfolded against a troubling backdrop. This includes the deepening multidimensional security and humanitarian crises. Socio-economic pressures and – most worryingly - restrictions to civil and political rights have increased.
In September 2025, ECCAS leaders appointed Ezéchiel Nibigira as President of the ECCAS Commission. Earlier this year, they appointed the Commissioners of the sub-regional organization. We welcome these appointments and look forward to a strong partnership with ECCAS, which is vital to helping Central Africa address its challenges. The United Nations, through UNOCA, is determined to continue to support the peace and security initiatives of ECCAS and the capacities of the Commission. I would like to use this opportunity to acknowledge and welcome the development by the ECCAS Commission of its ambitious draft strategic plan for the period 2026-2030. The Commission presented the draft strategic plan to partners for their feedback last month. It is important that this plan is given adequate and predictable support to translate regional commitments into concrete measures.
At the end of last month, Burundi hosted the 61st session of the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa (UNSAC). This important forum remains a unique framework for dialogue and consultation within the peace and security architecture of the sub-region. We welcome the adoption of two important declarations: on the strengthening of regional conflict prevention mechanisms and on the protection of internally displaced persons in Central Africa.
Madam President,
Security remains a key concern in several countries of the sub-region. Two fulcrums of instability stand out in Central Africa: eastern Chad, and the Lake Chad region.
With the conflict in the Sudan in its fourth year, its direct impact on Chad cannot be overemphasized. The influx of over 900,000 Sudanese refugees and 300,000 Chadian returnees – including over 800,000 children – since April 2023 has placed a significant strain on national resources. It has undermined social cohesion in Chad’s eastern provinces, exacerbating an already severe humanitarian crisis. Repeated cross border incursions and drone strikes on Chadian military positions risk a further regionalization of the conflict. We call again on all partners to increase their efforts to resolve the conflict in the Sudan and to help Chad in dealing with the impact of the crisis.
In the Lake Chad Basin, civilians in Cameroon and Chad continue to suffer indiscriminate attacks and human rights abuses by the various Boko Haram-affiliated and splinter groups. The persistence of those groups stems from their ability to operate across borders exploiting the limited presence of State authorities and services in those areas.
The Multinational Joint Task Force remains an essential cross-regional mechanism to combat the violent extremist threat in the Lake Chad Basin. I am encouraged by the declarations of renewed commitment by President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno of Chad and President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria to strengthen security cooperation. However, while necessary, a security-focused response alone will not suffice to address the root causes of the crisis. I echo the Secretary-General’s call for international partners, including multilateral development banks, to fund the Lake Chad Basin Commission’s cross-border programmes within the framework of its Regional Strategy for Stabilization, Recovery and Resilience. Indeed, they remain under-resourced despite the growing humanitarian and protection needs in the region. UNOCA and the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), as members of the Steering Committee of the Regional Strategy, will continue to contribute towards its implementation.
Finally, the ongoing crisis in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon continues to have a major humanitarian impact on civilians, who bear the brunt of the violence of armed separatist groups. I reiterate the availability of the United Nations to supporting inclusive, nationally led initiatives to achieve durable peace and stability.
Madam President,
There is a worrying trend of increasing restrictions on civil and political rights in several parts of Central Africa. If not reversed, these could contribute to a narrowing civic space, affecting long-term stability and leading to conflict. In Chad, the sentencing of prominent opposition leaders to prison terms reinforced grievances linked to the conviction of former Transition Prime Minister Succès Masra. In Cameroon, extensions of the mandates of deputies and municipal councillors and the reintroduction of the position of vice-president have been widely contested by opposition parties and civil society. In Gabon, restrictions on access to social media, a controversial law on nationality and the arrest and pretrial detention of opposition figure and former Prime Minister Alain-Claude Billie-By-Nze have been widely criticized by various sectors of Gabonese society. In the Republic of the Congo, the presidential election in March led to the expression of grievances by the opposition regarding electoral governance.
As São Tomé and Príncipe prepares for presidential election in July and legislative and local elections in September, it will be essential that electoral management bodies, including the Constitutional Court, be perceived as strictly impartial and independent. This should enhance acceptance of the results of the elections. It will be key to preserving stability and public confidence in State institutions.
All these developments warrant intensified good offices to encourage and support inclusive political processes.
Madam President,
We are concerned about the Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the risk of it spreading to the sub-region. As mentioned by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief coordinator Tom Fletcher, these are some of the most difficult operating environments in the world for lifesaving work by the humanitarian community. Access and Freedom of movement for healthcare and humanitarian actors are essential for an effective response. Regional coordination and greater international support will be essential to contain the spread of the outbreak.
Madam President,
UNOCA remains deeply committed to working with all regional actors towards conflict prevention, mediation and peace consolidation. The Secretary-General has recently appointed Mr. Mohammed El-Amine Souef of the Comoros, as his new Special Representative for Central Africa and the Head of UNOCA. Mr. Souef is expected to deploy to Libreville towards the end of this month. We count on the continued support of this Council.
I thank you for your attention.
