Q: What can you tell us about the Security Council's imposition of sanctions yesterday on the Central African national Ali Darassa?
A: Following a proposal by France and with the sponsorship of the United States, India and the United Kingdom, on December 21 the Security Council adopted individual sanctions against Ali Darassa pursuant to the terms of Resolution 2588 (2021).
The founder and head of the UPC armed group, one of the Central African Republic's most active armed groups, this individual is responsible for numerous crimes and atrocities against civilians as well as arms trafficking in violation of the current embargo, acts of predation and acts of war against the Central African authorities. Ali Darassa notably played a decisive role in founding the CPD, a coalition of armed groups that sought to overthrow the Central African authorities in December 2020 in violation of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic (APPR-RCA) of February 6, 2019.
By unanimously passing this measure, the Security Council demonstrated once again its determination to combat impunity and punish those who oppose the peace process in the Central African Republic.