Central African Republic

The Central African Republic (CAR) has been under EU arms embargo since December 2013 (Decision 2013/798/CFSP). The EU arms embargo against CAR transposes that of the UN and has been renewed to date.

1. Conventional weapons

Prohibitions 

The current sanctions regime, as detailed in updated versions of Council Decision 2013/798/CFSP and Regulation 224/2014, prohibits :

• The sale, supply, transfer or export of arms and related materiel of all types, including weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment, and spare parts for the aforementioned to the Central African Republic (‘CAR’) (Decision 2013/798/CFSP, art.1, para.1).
• The provision of technical assistance training or other assistance, including the provision of armed mercenary personnel, as well as financial assistance or financing related to military activities and items aforementioned to any person, entity or body in, or for use in the CAR (Decision 2013/798/CFSP, art.1, para.2, a and b, and Regulation 224/2014, art.2, a and b).

Exceptions

However, the sanctions regime provides for several exceptions.

Requiring no prior approval or notification from/to the UN Sanctions Committee:

• the sale, supply, transfer or export of protective clothing, including flak jackets and military helmets, temporarily exported to the CAR by United Nations personnel, personnel of the Union or its Member States, representatives of the media and humanitarian and development workers and associated personnel, for their personal use only, as well as the provision of technical assistance, financing or financial assistance or brokering services related (Decision 2013/798/CFSP, art.2, para.1, e, and Regulation 224/2014, art.3, d).
• the sale, supply, transfer or export of arms and related materiel of all types, including weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment, and spare parts for the aforementioned, and the provision of related assistance, advice and training to the CAR security forces, including state civilian law enforcement institutions, as well as the provision of technical assistance, financing or financial assistance or brokering services related (Decision 2013/798/CFSP, art.2, para.1, g, and Regulation 224/2014, art.3, e).

Requiring prior notification to te UN Sanctions Committee:

• the sale, supply, transfer or export of arms and related materiel, and the provision of related technical assistance or financing and financial assistance, intended solely for the support of or use by the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the CAR (MINUSCA), the Union missions and the French forces deployed in the CAR, as well as other UN Member States’ forces providing training and assistance, as well as the provision of technical assistance, financing or financial assistance or brokering services related (Decision 2013/798/CFSP, art.2, para.1, a, and Regulation 224/2014, art.3, a).
• the sale, supply, transfer or export of non‐lethal equipment and provision of assistance, including operational and non‐operational training to the CAR security forces, including state civilian law enforcement institutions, intended solely for support of or use in the CAR process of security sector reform (SSR), in coordination with MINUSCA, as well as the provision of technical assistance, financing or financial assistance or brokering services related (Decision 2013/798/CFSP, art.2, para.1, b, and Regulation 224/2014, art.3, b).
• the sale, supply, transfer or export of arms and related materiel brought into the CAR by Chadian or Sudanese forces solely for their use in international patrols of the tripartite force established on 23 May 2011 in Khartoum by the CAR, Chad and Sudan, to enhance security in the common border areas, in cooperation with MINUSCA (Decision 2013/798/CFSP, art.2, para.1, c).
• the sale, supply, transfer or export of non‐lethal military equipment intended solely for humanitarian or protective use, and related technical assistance or training, as well as the provision of technical assistance, financing or financial assistance or brokering services related (Decision 2013/798/CFSP, art.2, para.1, d, and Regulation 224/2014, art.3, c).
• the sale, supply, transfer or export of small arms and other related equipment intended solely for use in international‐led patrols providing security in the Sangha River Tri‐national Protected Area or by armed wildlife rangers of the Chinko Project and the Bamingui‐Bangoran National Park to defend against poaching, smuggling of ivory and arms, and other activities contrary to the national laws of the CAR or the CAR’s international legal obligations (Decision 2013/798/CFSP, art.2, para.1, f).

Member States shall ensure that all notifications and all exemption requests to the Committee include : the details of the manufacturer and supplier of the equipment; a description of equipment including the type, calibre, quantity as well as serial numbers and lot numbers or the proposed date(s) when the serial numbers and lot numbers will be provided in the case of an exemption request; the proposed date(s) and place(s) of delivery; the mode(s) of transport and itinerary of shipments; and the purpose of use and end user, including the intended destination unit in the CAR security forces, as well as the intended place of storage (Decision 2013/798/CFSP, art.2, para.3).

Requiring prior approval from the UN Sanctions Committee:

• other sale, supply, transfer or export of arms and other related materiel, or provision of assistance or personnel (Decision 2013/798/CFSP, art.2, para.1, i).

Others

The EU sanctions regime is indefinite.

The CAR is also under UN arms embargo.