Regional Leaders Reaffirm Commitment to Solutions for Central African Displacement Crisis

Ministers and heads of delegation from six Central and East African nations met in Bangui to reaffirm their commitment to accelerating the Yaoundé Declaration and the Support Platform for Solutions for individuals displaced by the Central African Republic (CAR) crisis.

The extraordinary ministerial meeting of the CAR Platform's Steering Committee included representatives from the Central African Republic, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chad, and Sudan. Participants reviewed progress made since the platform launched in October 2023, evaluating areas such as voluntary returns, support for spontaneous returnees, sustainable reintegration, development hubs, refugee inclusion in host nations, and regional coordination.

According to data cited at the meeting, 75,031 Central African refugees have received voluntary return assistance since 2017, including 16,265 in 2024 and 21,455 in 2025. Local authorities also reported that several thousand individuals have returned spontaneously. Despite these movements, more than 1.16 million people remained forcibly displaced by the crisis as of March 31, 2026. This total comprises more than 650,000 refugees living in asylum countries and 427,479 internally displaced persons within the Central African Republic.

Central African Republic Prime Minister Felix Molua stressed that durable solutions require safe living conditions, access to essential services, and economic opportunities in addition to physical return.

In a joint final communiqué, the delegations recommended strengthening the platform's governance structures and securing additional financial and technical support for national action plans. The representatives called for resuming voluntary repatriations in 2026 and establishing a provisional return convoy schedule for 2027 based on reception capacity, health protocols, and reintegration programs.

Investment priorities identified for reintegration hubs include civil documentation, healthcare, water access, education, and economic development. William Chemaly, UNHCR Representative in the Central African Republic, noted that long-term reintegration depends on developing infrastructure and services that benefit both returnees and host communities.

Meeting attendees also acknowledged ongoing challenges affecting returns, such as regional insecurity, socio-economic and infrastructure deficits, funding shortages, and health measures related to the Ebola virus. Regional delegates called upon international financial institutions, UN agencies, the private sector, and civil society to expand their backing for the initiative.

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