MISCA Establishment

MISCA is the African-led International Support Mission in Central Africa.  The Central African Republic (CAR) is a Francophone country and MISCA is a French acronym for Mission Internationale de Soutien à la Centrafrique sous Conduite Africaine.

MISCA is a Mission set up by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union with the full support of the United Nation.  It was established on 5 December 2013 by a resolution of the United Nations Security Council (Resolution 2127) to stabilise conflict in the country following a coup d’etat in March 2013. The Mission, led by the African Union and backed by the UN, was deployed on 19 December 2013.

The current MISCA strength (as of 02/07/2014) is made up of 5,097 soldiers and 602 police from 10 African countries, along with a substantive civilian component dealing with such issues as human rights, disarmament, gender, humanitarian liaison and political affairs.

The MISCA Mission is complimented by the French operation of 2,000 soldiers, known as the Sangaris Operation, and by a European Union (EU) force that sent its first troops to CAR in April 2014 and is expected to reach a total strength of troops and police of about 800 soon.  The current strength of the EU contingent of troops and police is 680 (as of 02/07/2014).

The UN Resolution 2127 included the option to transfer MISCA to a larger mission under United Nations authority, which is now due to take place on 15 September 2014.