Research Paper on the Central African Republic

Research Paper on Central African Republic
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Research Paper on the Central African Republic
1. NAME YOUR ASSIGNED COUNTRY: Central African Republic (CAR)
2. CAPITAL OF ASSIGNED COUNTRY: Bangui
3. FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Semi-presidential republic
4. DEMOGRAPHICS OF POPULATION: 5,990,855
5. Location of the country on International Corruption Index (shown in zoom meetings and also posted on CANVAS
6. ALL COUNTRIES ADJACENT TO YOUR ASSIGNED COUNTRY: Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, the Republic of the Congo, and Cameroon.
VIDEO 1: The BBC Broadcast shows the humanitarian crisis in CAR because of the civil war. It relates to the information in Index Mundi, which shows that CAR has a death rate of 12 (deaths/1000 population). This makes it among the top 20 countries in terms of the high death rate in the world. The civil wars and coups have led to massive loss of lives. The destruction of infrastructure has reduced the quality of life. Inadequate access to basic things like food and shelter has made CAR’s people more vulnerable to diseases. As a result, people are more likely to die because of both communicable and non-communicable diseases. The low quality of life because of inadequate health facilities has increased the death toll. The victors of war are more likely to die because of insufficient treatment options. The Index Mundi further shows that the life expectancy in CAR is 54 years, making it among the countries with the lowest life expectancy. The numerous wars and ongoing conflict have reduced the average number of years individuals are likely to live to 54 years. CAR is among the world’s nations with a low life expectancy because of the low quality of life.
COUNTRY SHOWN IN VIDEO OR THE COUNTRY THE VIDEO IS ABOUT: The video is based on the CAR.
Title of Video/Broadcast: What’s going on in the Central African Republic?
Location of video: Bangui, the capital city
a. Name or website or organization posting the video: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) /
b. Direct http link to video: /watch?v=7lltnkD0y7w
c. Length of video: 4 minutes, 38 seconds
d. When video was taken (or about): February 2021
Type video: BBC report on the state of Central African Republic unfolding crisis
Summary of Video or broadcast: The Africa BBC correspondent Catherine Byaruhanga narrates how powerful rebel groups have created unlikely alliances meant to topple the government. The unity between the rebel groups has been working towards capturing large parts of the nation and threatening to take over the capital Bangui. Gunshots can be heard as civilians flee from the affected areas. A majority of these leaving are women with their children who are in dilapidated conditions because of the effects of the war. Government forces can be seen handling the streets to ensure the safety of the people from the rebel groups. People can be seen in United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps to take refuge amidst the increasing violence. As the reporter narrates the events that have led to the current situation, footage of an armed Muslim group called the Seleka shows them marching on Bangui streets. Their actions push out Bozizé, who had been reelected back in 2011. The video further shows armed Christian groups called Anti Balaka taking to the streets, an act that led to a civil war. Bodies can be seen lying on the streets because of the intense violence. The report further shows the primary source of funding for the violence. The video shows civilians mining gold and diamonds. These consist of mainly women and children, who maintain the fighters and allow them to stay armed. The conditions of the people are deteriorating. Thousands of people can be seen boarding canoes crossing the Ubangi River, separating CAR from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). One distressed woman named Chancella Yakemba narrates how she fled with her children and little sisters and came to the DRC. A coalition of the UN peacekeepers, Russian soldiers, mercenaries, and Rwandan troops try to block the rebel groups from accessing and controlling the capital city. These have more powerful and sophisticated weapons to repel the rebels. As this unfolds, the reporter indicates that the cost of basic things like food is escalating. For instance, a kilogram of flour now costs $100. David, a resident of Bangui, expresses his frustration because of the ongoing situation. He is unable to sell anything and also find something to eat. The video ends by showing pictures of civilians tormented by the endless conflict. As tankers roam on the streets with soldiers, rebel groups are seen strategizing to advance their cause. Meanwhile, women, children, and old adults are in refugee camps desperate to receive assistance from humanitarian organizations.
VIDEO 2: The video is related to prison reforms. The principal aim is the demilitarization of the prisons to make them more humane. The video relates to the Human Development Reports (2021) that show the prison population per 100,000 people. In CAR, the report has insufficient data. The data available is for 2005, 2011, 2015, and 2013-2018 with 25, 19, 17, and 17 prisoners. The unavailability of data for most of the years is because of the broken criminal and justice system; hence the number of prisoners cannot be accounted for. Most of the prisoners are those accused of war crimes by the reigning government. With most of the prisons operated using military approaches, less information is offered concerning the state of prisoners.
COUNTRY SHOWN IN VIDEO OR THE COUNTRY THE VIDEO IS ABOUT: CAR
Title of Video/Broadcast: L'importance de la réforme pénale en République centrafricaine (Which translates to “The importance of penal reform in the Central African Republic”)
Location of video: CAR
a. Name or website or organization posting video: Penal Reform International (PRI), /
b. Direct http link to video: /watch?v=5cJQnFRaRhc&t=1s
c. Length of video: 1 minute, 32 seconds
d. When video was taken (or about): The video was uploaded on August 10, 2020
Type video: A clip showing the efforts of PRI towards ensuring the demilitarization of prisons in CAR
Summary of Video or broadcast: The video, which is originally in French, provides English captions. The video offers the remarks of two significant representatives of PRI. The first one is Osca Ouedraogo, the project chief, and Florian Irminger, the executive director of PRI in CAR. Ouedraogo indicates that PRI in CAR supports the prison administration in implementing the national strategy for the demilitarization of prisons. The prison establishments are managed by soldiers who do not necessarily reflect the rights of the prisoners. As a result, PRI works with the establishments to ensure the replacement of the soldiers who manage the prisons by well-trained civilians and professional civilian staff who can adhere to the regulations and standards on the rights of the individuals deprived of their liberty. Irminger indicates that PRI collaborates with the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission (MINUSCA) on prison reform. He further demonstrates that a well-functioning criminal justice system suggests to the population that the reconstruction of the state is underway, and hence law and order are soon returning. Irminger believes that strengthening the criminal justice system as a whole implies enhancing the rule of law. It also indicates an effort to show the credibility of the related institutions and the trust of the population in the system. The whole clip is shot inside a prison establishment. While it does not show details about the surrounding, it demonstrates that PRI is working towards bringing change into CAR, which has been adversely affected by civil wars. The volatility of the situation in CAR makes such a process challenging, considering the lack of finances and human resources. The video demonstrates the importance of collaboration between agencies in bringing the required reforms to the CAR. The prisons’ demilitarization ensures that the prison service, which consists mainly of armed and security forces, can now be transferred to professionally qualified civilian staff.
VIDEO 3: The video relates to the information by the Heritage Foundation on the rule of law. According to the Heritage Foundation (2021), the protection of property rights remains weak at 23.2%. As a result, looting of businesses and homes is regular. Armed militia gro...