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Official visit to the Central African Republic
Alain Berset is the first member of the Federal Council to visit the Central African Republic. The armed conflict, under way since 2012, has hit civilians hard and damaged the health system; a peace agreement was signed on 5 February 2019 between the government and fourteen armed groups. Switzerland has funded humanitarian aid there since 2014.
On 6 May, he travels to Kaga-Bandoro, in the north, where thousands of people driven out by violence live in displacement sites. He visits the hospital there with the ICRC. On 7 May, in Bangui, he visits the paediatric hospital, then meets the Minister of Health, Pierre Somse, Prime Minister Firmin Ngrebada and President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, with whom he discusses the peace agreement and humanitarian aid.
“I wanted to go and see what is happening on the ground,” he tells RTS. He offers Swiss expertise in conflict resolution, dealing with the past, the rule of law and justice.
Sunday 5 May 2019 — Bangui
- Welcome by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sylvie Baipo-Temon
- Meeting with Central African artists
- Evening with the Swiss community, partners and artists, speech
Monday 6 May 2019 — Kaga-Bandoro, Bangui
- Meeting with the Prefect of Nana-Grébizi
- ICRC humanitarian briefing
- Visit to the Kaga-Bandoro hospital and the displacement site
- Lunch with humanitarian organisations (OCHA)
- Visit to Radio Ndeke Luka, supported by the Fondation Hirondelle
- Meeting with the Platform of Religious Confessions, with Cardinal Dieudonné Nzapalaïnga
Tuesday 7 May 2019 — Bangui
- Visit to the Bangui paediatric hospital
- Meeting with Pierre Somse, Minister of Health and Population
- Meeting with Prime Minister Firmin Ngrebada
- Audience with President Faustin-Archange Touadéra
- Lunch with MINUSCA and the diplomatic corps
- Press conference
Speeches on this site
- Soirée de rencontre à Bangui (French-language page)
Sources