U.N. peacekeepers guarded polling stations throughout the Central African Republic (CAR) Wednesday as the country voted in presidential and legislative elections. Military and police units from the U.N. Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in CAR (MINUSCA) joined French soldiers and local security teams in "a strategy of pre-emption, prevention, and reaction to anticipate, prevent, and react against all imponderables and all risks," the mission reported in its latest bulletin. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Tuesday took to CAR's radio waves to appeal for a massive turn-out in the polls. "The upcoming elections are a historical moment for your country," Ban said. "Never before have so many central Africans registered to vote. I call on every one of you to use your right to vote without letting others preventing you from expressing yourselves peacefully. The Organization of the United Nations will stand by you during this critical time."
