United Nations, Nov 10 (IANS): The UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR) is helping national authorities in preventing and reducing violence at the community level, a UN spokeswoman said.

The mission, known by its French acronym as MINUSCA, is also helping to organise the Bangui Court of Appeal's second criminal session of the year, said Stephanie Tremblay, an associate spokeswoman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on Wednesday.

MINUSCA says that preparations for the next phase of a programme to reduce violence at the community level are underway. The programme offers people, including young people, an alternative to violence through vocational training, income-generating activities, and voluntary surrender of weapons, she added.

The mission has registered more than half of the 4,300 people, including 1,200 women, who will take part in the programme, she said.

Overall, the security situation in the country has remained relatively calm in the past few days, though tense in certain parts of the country, she told a daily press briefing.

UN peacekeepers are patrolling to protect the population and to secure fragile areas, with nearly 1,700 patrols carried out over the past week, including some jointly done with the Central African armed forces, Tremblay added.

The CAR, one of the poorest African countries, has suffered violence at the hands of armed groups, affecting civilian institutions.