Bêkou Trust Fund

In this context, the first multi-donor EU Trust Fund was established in July 2014 at the discretion of the European Union and three of its Member States - France, Germany and the Netherlands. The donors decided to pool their funding, expertise and implementation capacities together, in close cooperation with the national authorities. The Fund was named Bêkou that means "hope" in Sango. Italy and Switzerland joined in 2015.

Since the signing of a new peace agreement in 2019, the situation in the Central African Republic has eased but remains volatile. Therefore, based on “continuing needs”, 2 extensions were approved, allowing Bêkou to fund new programmes until end 2021. In 2022, about 30 Bêkou projects are under implementation for a budget of €180 000 000.

The 22 programmes launched by the Bêkou Trust Fund contribute to:

• restoring essential public services and basic social services (health, food security, water and sanitation)
• reviving economic activity (rural development, support to local economic actors, microfinance)
• stabilising the country and restoring the social fabric, in particular through reconciliation, peaceful coexistence between communities and respect for human rights
• re-establishing the legitimacy, rebuilding capacity and restoring the operation of national and local administrative structures

These programmes are aligned with the National Recovery and Peacebuilding Plan (RCPCA) adopted in October 2016 by the Central African State and its 3 pillars: (1) promote peace, security and reconciliation; (2) renew the social contract between the State and the population and (3) facilitate economic and productive sector recovery.