A/HRC/42/61 17. In view of the significant concessions made by the people of the Central African Republic in order to restore security throughout the country, there is an urgent need for all parties to accept their responsibility, silence the guns and end the violence. The Independent Expert wishes to remind the armed groups, especially those that seek to take part in the peace process, that they must put an immediate stop to the violence. Otherwise, those responsible may be liable to criminal prosecution owing to their rank as commanders and their influence and responsibilities as senior officers. It is also the responsibility of the State to exercise the public right of action and prosecute the perpetrators of all such heinous crimes. Acts of this kind are likely to jeopardize the peace process, and the Independent Expert calls on all parties, guarantors and facilitators to strictly enforce the penalties for violations and to take all necessary steps to ensure that they do not recur. 18. The Independent Expert also underlines the importance of national ownership to guard against superficial implementation of the Peace Agreement. Efforts are being made, with the support of civil society, to disseminate this Agreement and explain its contents to all Central Africans, and the Independent Expert encourages the authorities to step up those efforts. Ownership should also emerge from ongoing consultations in all sectors of national life. In a peace process, consultations of this kind are important in negotiations, but they should not be confined to this phase. The recent demonstrations by civil society and the political parties point up the need for the Government to engage in continuous, inclusive dialogue in order to keep democratic channels open, provide a breathing space and contribute to political stability. 19. Local initiatives to organize peace dialogues in a number of localities also serve to reduce violence, promote reconciliation and strengthen social cohesion. The Independent Expert calls on the national authorities and all stakeholders to continue these efforts and ensure the inclusive participation of civil society in developing transitional justice initiatives. 20. The Independent Expert found that the upcoming elections were already at the forefront of her interlocutors’ minds. In that regard, the Constitutional Court’s decision of 5 June 2019 declaring the Act on the Electoral Code partially unconstitutional had given rise to numerous comments. Some people welcome the progress made in women’s right to political participation, others accuse the Court of wanting to act in place of the legislator. The Court has sent the Act back to the National Assembly, which will make the necessary changes before again submitting it to the Court for approval. B. Security context 21. The security situation has improved somewhat but remains tenuous. The second half of 2018 saw growing insecurity, marked by violent clashes that resulted in numerous civilian casualties. 22. One of the most serious incidents was the assault on Batangafo. On 31 October 2018, fighters from the Front populaire pour la renaissance de la Centrafrique (Popular Front for the Rebirth of Central Africa – FPRC) and the Mouvement patriotique pour la Centrafrique (Patriotic Movement for Central Africa – MPC) attacked Batangafo, burning and looting large areas for six days, and also destroying internally displaced persons camps. To counter the offensive, anti-balaka groups deployed additional forces in the town, triggering further clashes that left 11 dead, 37 injured and 23,000 displaced. 23. A second incident occurred on 15 November 2018, when ex-Séléka groups attacked the town of Alindao to punish anti-balaka groups for attacks on pastoralists outside the town. Camps for internally displaced persons were targeted. A survey by MINUSCA found that at least 112 people had died and 17,732 had been displaced. 24. Between 31 December 2018 and 15 January 2019, FPRC attacked Bakouma in an attempt to extend its control southwards in the direction of Bangassou. The attack resulted in the displacement of virtually the entire population of the town and surrounding villages, and killed at least 45 people, the majority of them civilians. Cases of sexual violence, looting and destruction of property, notably humanitarian infrastructure, were reported. GE.19-13726 5