Canada's Central African Republic sanctions updated: arms embargo narrowed to non-state actors, several exceptions removed

Plain-language summary · AI-assisted · not legal advice

Canada has amended its sanctions regulations implementing UN resolutions on the Central African Republic. The arms embargo and military-assistance prohibitions have been refocused: they now apply only to non-state armed actors in the CAR, rather than to the country and all persons within it broadly. Several exemption provisions (covering non-lethal equipment, specific multilateral missions, CAR security forces, and advance-approval pathways) have been repealed. The definition of 'armed mercenary' has been removed, the definition of 'military activities' no longer references armed mercenaries, and the reference governing the Security Council Committee has been updated to reflect a 2024 UN resolution. The certificate-issuance process for property frozen under the designated-persons regime has also been updated to reference a different UN resolution as its legal basis. Businesses and individuals dealing in arms, providing military or technical assistance, or operating vessels and aircraft should review their compliance programs against the narrowed but still-active prohibitions.

Who this affects: arms exporters and suppliers · vessel owners and aircraft operators · financial institutions dealing with designated persons · humanitarian organizations operating in the CAR · compliance and legal teams in defence and security sectors