United Nations Population Fund/Karel Prinsloo

Mariam Zakaria is a refugee returning from Sudan and currently lives in the Korsi refugee camp in Bilao, the northern Central African Republic.

United Nations Secretary-General's Special Representative for Central Africa and Director of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa Abdu Abari said in a video briefing to the Security Council on Monday that despite positive progress in political transition, women's empowerment and regional cooperation, security threats and financial difficulties still seriously restrict the prospects for peace and development in the region.

Political transition and gender equality show hope

Central Africa generally refers to 11 countries within the scope of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa, including: Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe, Rwanda and Burundi. Most of these countries are located in central Africa and partly belong to the Economic Community of Central African States, and face common challenges in terms of geographical and geopoliticality.

Abari pointed out that in the past six months, Chad has successfully completed the political transition, and Gabon has also taken key steps in restoring the constitutional order and successfully returned to the African Union. However, he stressed that now is a critical period for the new authorities to promote reform and consolidate the results of transformation.

He specifically mentioned that regional progress in promoting gender equality was encouraging. In Chad's recent national elections, the proportion of female MPs reached an unprecedented level; Gabon passed laws to set a quota for women to run for 30%, and one-third of the newly formed governments are women.

Security threats escalate, false information brings challenges

Despite positive progress, Abari pointed out that many countries in the region still face severe security challenges. Boko Haram and its branches create violent clashes in the Lake Chad Basin, and a drone containing explosives attacked a multinational force post in Nigeria in March, killing 19 Cameroonian soldiers. He said this was the first such attack in Cameroon, which showed that terrorist groups had considerable resilience and threatening capabilities.

Abari also warned of the flood of political false information on social media, pointing out that 65% of the relevant content in the first four months of 2025 contained false information or was manipulated. He stressed that ensuring freedom of speech and the authenticity of information is crucial to regional stability.

Regional cooperation is facing tests, and fiscal pressure needs to be alleviated urgently

In terms of regional cooperation, Abari informed many achievements in the reform of the Economic Community of Central African States, including the establishment of regional courts, audit institutions, community parliament and humanitarian trust funds, and announced that the free trade zone will be launched on August 30, 2025. However, Rwanda's decision to withdraw from the organization casts a shadow over regional integration.

Abari pointed out that humanitarian institutions have seriously insufficient funding, and Chad's 2025 contingency plan has only 9.3% of the funds have been implemented so far, and the continued spillover of the Sudan conflict has caused more refugees to enter Chad, making the situation even more serious.

Abari said that central Africa is still a region full of potential and resources, and also demonstrates the firm commitment of multilateralism. Whether Angola serves as the African Union President, Cameroon presided over the UN General Assembly, or Gabon and Equatorial Guinea settle disputes through the International Court of Justice, it demonstrates the region's adherence to the purposes and principles advocated by the UN Charter. He reiterated that the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa will spare no effort to implement the tasks entrusted by the Security Council and continue to work together with regional countries to strive for greater peace, development and prosperity for the people.