A/HRC/24/59 I. Introduction 1. In its resolution 23/18, the Human Rights Council condemned the serious human rights violations perpetrated against the civilian population in the Central African Republic, and requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to submit to the Council, at its twenty-fourth session, an interim report on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic. 2. Pursuant to resolution 23/18, the High Commissioner deployed a fact-finding mission to the Central African Republic to collect information on the human rights violations committed in Bangui and other localities from 10 December 2012, when the Séléka offensive was launched, to 11 July 2013, when the mission left the country. It should be noted that the Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights visited the Central African Republic from 29 July to 2 August 2013 in an effort to support efforts led by the United Nations to promote and protect human rights in the Central African Republic. II. Methodology 3. From 20 June to 11 July 2013, the mission visited Bangui and undertook visits to Damara (Ombella M’Poko Prefecture), Mbaïki (Lobaye Prefecture), Kaga-Bandoro (NanaGribizi Prefecture) and Sibut (Kémo Prefecture). These localities were identified on the basis of reports of alleged human rights violations, as well as logistics and security constraints. Although the mission had planned to visit Bria (Haute-Kotto Prefecture) and Bambari (Ouaka Prefecture), it was unable to do so for security reasons. 4. The mission carried out its activities in an extremely challenging environment, which included tight security and logistics constraints. In addition, owing to the fact that many victims and witnesses feared reprisals and were reluctant to testify, the mission was sometimes only able to obtain estimates of the number of violations reported. 5. The mission interviewed more than 235 people, including victims, their families and witnesses, as well as representatives of the National Transitional Council, the interim Government, the military, the judiciary, civil society, international protection partners, the United Nations system, the diplomatic community and the Mission for the Consolidation of Peace in the Central African Republic (MICOPAX). 1 6. The mission also analysed numerous documents, such as reports of the Human Rights and Justice Section of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central African Republic (BINUCA) and of the Joint Investigation Mission, comprising the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and BINUCA, deployed in the Equateur Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo between May and June 2013. 7. In the present report, the mission summarizes its findings with regard to the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic and the nature and extent of human rights violations committed by all parties from December 2012 to 11 July 2013. 1 4 Established by the Economic Community of Central African States in 2008, MICOPAX has been deployed in the Central African Republic since 2009.