UK extends Central African Republic sanctions to Overseas Territories

On 3 June 2014, legislation.gov.uk (the official publication for newly enacted UK legislation) posted SI 2014/1368 – The Central African Republic (Sanctions) (Overseas Territories) Order 2014. This Order gives effect in specified Overseas Territories to sanctions imposed on the Central African Republic by United Nations Security Council resolutions 2127 (2013) of 5th December 2013 and 2134 (2014) of 28th January 2014. The Order also reflects the implementation of these sanctions by the European Union in Council Decisions 2013/798/CFSP and 2014/125/CFSP.

The sanctions imposed include an arms embargo and a prohibition on the supply of related assistance to the Central African Republic, including the supply of armed mercenary personnel, and an asset freeze against persons designated by the United Nations Security Council as:

• engaging in or providing support for acts that undermine the peace, stability or security of the Central African Republic, or that fuel violence; .
• acting in violation of the arms embargo established in paragraph 54 of resolution 2127 (2013); .
• being involved in planning, directing, or committing acts that violate international human rights law or international humanitarian law, as applicable, or that constitute human rights abuses or violations, including acts involving sexual violence; .
• recruiting or using children in armed conflict in the Central African Republic, in violation of applicable international law; .
• providing support for armed groups or criminal networks through the illicit exploitation of natural resources, including diamonds and wildlife and wildlife products, in the Central African Republic; .
• obstructing the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Central African Republic; .
• being involved in planning, directing, sponsoring, or conducting attacks against UN missions or other international security presences; .
• being leaders of, having provided support to, or having acted for or on behalf of or at the direction of, an entity designated by the Security Council Sanctions Committee; .
• acting on behalf of or at the direction of persons, entities or bodies listed in points (a) to (h), or entities owned or controlled by them.

The Order makes provision for the Governor to license certain activities in line with exemptions under the sanctions regime.  The specified territories to which the Order applies are: Anguilla, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Montserrat, Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in the Island of Cyprus. Turks and Caicos Islands and the Virgin Islands.