A/HRC/30/59 June 2015, the chosen format allowed more in-depth discussion on the efforts being made to combat impunity in the Central African Republic, with the participation of the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Deputy Head of MINUSCA, the Ministers of Justice and National Reconciliation of the Central African Republic, and Imam Kobine Layama, representing the Central African Republic Interfaith Peace Platform. 1 II. General situation A. Political context 11. The political transition that began on 18 August 2013 for an initial period of 18 months was extended on 22 December 2014 for an additional 6 months by Mr. Denis Sassou Nguesso, the mediator in the Central African Repub lic for the ECCAS and President of the Republic of the Congo. The current political transition provides for a constitutional referendum and presidential and legislative elections, which should mark the end of the transition and a return to constitutional o rder by the end of 2015. 12. On 23 January 2015, in her speech marking the first anniversary of the transition, President Samba-Panza noted that the Central African Republic was recovering slowly but surely thanks to the joint efforts of the Central Africa n people and the international community. She stressed that security was gaining ground with the support of the international forces and that State authority was gradually being restored through the deployment of civil servants in the interior of the count ry. 13. The agreement on the cessation of hostilities in the Central African Republic signed on 23 July 2014 provided for, inter alia, the holding of a national forum that would pave the way for the restoration of peace and national reconciliation and the holding of free, democratic and transparent elections to enable a return to a constitutional system. The forum was to be preceded by local consultations so as to restore the relationship between the State and its citizens and to lay the foundations for a process of political dialogue. 14. These local consultations were held in January and February 2015, and the following four areas of focus were defined: (a) dialogue, truth, justice, reparation and reconciliation; (b) peace and security, disarmament, demobi lization and reintegration, security sector reform and child soldiers; (c) governance and elections; and (d) economic development and assistance for victims. A total of 28 facilitation teams of 10 to 15 persons each were deployed throughout the country and in other countries hosting large numbers of refugees or residents from the Central African Republic (namely Chad, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Congo and France) in order to hear and record citizens’ main concerns and expectations. About 20,000 persons were consulted, 4,370 of whom were women. In areas controlled by former Séléka fighters, armed members of that faction threatened the government delegations and facilitation teams, thereby disrupting and delaying the consultations. However, thanks to the intervention of MINUSCA, Sangaris and the European Union military operation in the Central African Republic (EUFOR RCA), consultations were successfully held in all provinces. 15. The Bangui National Forum on National Reconciliation was held from 4 to 11 May 2015. The overall objective was to provide an opportunity for nationals of the Central African Republic to reflect on the root causes of the crisis and propose ways __________________ 1 6/22 For more information, see http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=16174&LangID=E . GE.15-12489