Despite its wealth of natural resources and potential, Central Africa continues to face serious challenges, from political instability to growing humanitarian needs.

As violence intensifies in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the World Food Programme (WFP)warnedFriday that food insecurity is worsening both within the country and in neighbouring States, where 140,000 Congolese have fled since January.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that millions of people in West and Central Africa are facing record hunger as conflict, displacement, economic hardship and repeated extreme weather push the region towards a major crisis.

With violence worsening in both the Lake Chad Basin and the Great Lakes, theSecurity Councilmet on Monday to examine the threats confronting the wider region.

Central Africa remains rich in potential, but the challenges are still significant, said Abdou Abarry, Head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA).

Some progress

While countries such as Chad and Gabon have made progress in terms of political development, newly elected authorities must capitalise on this momentum to implement key democratic reforms, said Mr Abarry.

In Chad and Gabon, recent elections and reforms have promoted greater participation of women in the democratic process.

Today, women represent 34 per cent of Chads National Assembly, while Gabons new electoral code mandates that women must account for at least 30 per cent of electoral lists provided to voters.

Political challenges

In recent months, online disinformation and hate speech have been on the rise in Cameroon, said Mr Abarry. UNOCA reported that 65 per cent of political content shared on social media between January and April this year was either false or previously manipulated.

At the same time, Cameroon has seen a surge in intercommunal violence in the southern and central regions of the country. This trend underscores the importance of UNOCAs work in supporting development strategies aimed at preventing conflict related to electoral processes.

Insecurity hotbeds

Two major centres of insecurity persist, with violence escalating in both the Lake Chad Basin and the Great Lakes region.

Around Lake Chad, groups affiliated with Boko Haram extremists and other armed insurgencies have demonstrated their resilience and their ability to adapt and respond to the coordinated operations of the defence and security forces of the region, said Mr Abarry.

Notably, on the night of 24 March, drones carrying explosives killed at least 19 Cameroonian soldiers in southern Nigeria.

Meanwhile, growing tensions between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda have led to large-scale displacement in eastern DRC, where the humanitarian crisis is further compounded by conflict in neighbouring Sudan.

As budget cuts exacerbate ongoing humanitarian crises in the region, there is growing concern that the inaction of the international community could lead to a worsening of the humanitarian situation, the head of UNOCA told ambassadors.