ABSTRACT
The possibility of sustained and effective prevention occurs when a country is politically stable, the rule of law is established and verification of violence incidents is available. Central African Republic (CAR), a country that has experienced protracted colonial occupation and a subsequent series of authoritarian and (at times) extravagant leaders, is now undergoing a transition towards an emergent new stability that could create the conditions for effective prevention of mass atrocities. In CAR the fragile political agreement was encouraged by an international actor, the Community of Sant’Egidio that was previously instrumental in facilitating the emergence of peace in Mozambique (1990–92) and is working closely with the African Union and the United Nations, especially the Head of MINUSCA and SG Special Representative, Parfait Onanga – Anyanga. The case offers an opportunity to consider the link between the challenging environment created by widespread violence, the lack of control over territory and a political culture that – while seriously challenged in the past – is trying to craft a political environment that is committed to human rights, political inclusion, and the prevention of mass atrocities. As an international actor lacking coercive power, the Community of Sant’Egidio offers an opportunity to seek the harmonization of competing interests and at times contradictory values.
