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Rights group: New abuse claims against U.N. peacekeepers in Central African Republic U.N. reports new rapes by its peacekeepers in Central African Republic
(about 4 hours later)
NAIROBI — A new case has emerged of U.N. peacekeepers allegedly sexually abusing and exploiting women and girls in the Central African Republic, according to a Human Rights Watch report Thursday documenting the latest claims that have rocked the world body’s mission in the war-battered nation. NAIROBI — Investigators have discovered a string of new cases in which U.N. peacekeepers allegedly sexually abused or exploited women and girls in the Central African Republic, widening a scandal that has already sent shockwaves through the United Nations and threatened to undermine one of its most crucial and fragile missions.
The growing number of alleged abuses — many violent and involving young girls — has sent shockwaves through the United Nations, threatening to undermine one of its most crucial and fragile missions. On Thursday, the United Nations reported seven new alleged victims in response to a Human Rights Watch report released on the same day. The victims were as young as 14, according to the report, and several of them were brutally raped. The most recent abuses, as in several previous cases, reportedly occurred in one of the country's poorest and most vulnerable communities: a camp for families displaced by a brutal civil war, now entering its fourth year.
U.N. investigators looking into the Human Rights Watch report “found sufficient initial evidence that five of the victims were minors and had been sexually abused and that one adult had been sexually exploited,” according to a statement. The top U.N. official in the Central African Republic, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, called the alleged abuses “a double crime that affects the vulnerable women and children you were sent here to protect.”
The top UN official in the country, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, called the abuses “a double crime that affects the vulnerable women and children you were sent here to protect.” Onanga-Anyanga, a veteran U.N. manager from Gabon, announced that he would dismiss a contingent of 120 troops from Congo Republic, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, who were allegedly responsible for some of the most recent abuses. That rare dismissal comes as the United Nations tries to secure a volatile election in a country still embroiled in civil war. The troops will be confined to their barracks until they depart the country.
U.N. officials in the Central African Republic, expressing frustration at claims of sexual violence against their own employees, said they were planning to dismiss a contingent of troops from the Republic of Congo allegedly responsible for some of the most recent abuses. That dismissal comes as the United Nations tries to secure a volatile election in a country still embroiled in civil war. Since the United Nations’ Central African Republic mission was launched in 2014, it has been plagued by dozens of allegations of sexual violence. There have been allegations of more than 40 cases of sexual abuse perpetrated by U.N. employees in the Central African Republic in the last 13 months alone, according to U.N. data.
Since the U.N.'s Central African Republic mission was launched in 2014, it has been plagued by dozens of allegations of sexual violence. The most recent cases involve eight women and girls — as young as 14 — who claim they were either raped or paid for sex, according to Human Rights Watch. In an interview, Onanga-Anyanga said more cases were likely to be uncovered in the future, as U.N. investigators continue their work.
"I'm afraid we might just be seeing the tip of the iceberg," he said.
[U.N.: some peacekeepers paid 13-year-olds for sex][U.N.: some peacekeepers paid 13-year-olds for sex]
The women and girls interviewed by the group said the peacekeepers responsible were from the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The women and girls interviewed by Human Rights Watch said the peacekeepers responsible were from Congo Republic andCongo, the separate country formerly known as Zaire. Several said that the level of desperation in the displacement camps had led them to exchange sex for food or money. Others said they were threatened at gunpoint while they were raped. The alleged abuses occurred is in the town of Bambari, in the center of the country, between October and December of last year.
There have been allegations of more than 40 cases of sexual abuse perpetrated by U.N. employees in the Central African Republic in the last 13 months alone, according to U.N. data.
“In a country where armed groups routinely prey on civilians, peacekeepers should be protectors, not predators,” said Hillary Margolis, women’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch.“In a country where armed groups routinely prey on civilians, peacekeepers should be protectors, not predators,” said Hillary Margolis, women’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch.
The eight alleged victims were living in a camp for the internally displaced in the town of Bambari, in the center of the country, when the reported abuses took place late last year.
“The men were dressed in their military uniforms and had their guns,” one 14-year-old victim told Human Rights Watch. “I walked by and suddenly one of them grabbed me by my arms and the other one ripped off my clothes. They pulled me into the tall grass and one held my arms while the other one pinned down my legs and raped me."“The men were dressed in their military uniforms and had their guns,” one 14-year-old victim told Human Rights Watch. “I walked by and suddenly one of them grabbed me by my arms and the other one ripped off my clothes. They pulled me into the tall grass and one held my arms while the other one pinned down my legs and raped me."
At least some of the troops accused of the recent abuses had received U.N.-mandated training on sexual abuse-related issues before their deployment — part of the organization's attempt to curb the problem. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon recently called the abuses “a cancer in our system.” At least some of the troops accused of the recent abuses had received U.N.-mandated training on sexual abuse-related issues before their deployment — part of the organization's attempt to curb the problem.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon recently called the abuses “a cancer in our system.”
[Pope brings message of peace to a war zone][Pope brings message of peace to a war zone]
In January, The Washington Post reported that four peacekeepers had allegedly paid girls as young as 13 as little as 50 cents in exchange for sex in a different camp for the internally displaced. Last week, the United Nations announced that European troops had raped two girls and paid two others for sex — all of them between the ages of 14 and 16.In January, The Washington Post reported that four peacekeepers had allegedly paid girls as young as 13 as little as 50 cents in exchange for sex in a different camp for the internally displaced. Last week, the United Nations announced that European troops had raped two girls and paid two others for sex — all of them between the ages of 14 and 16.
But the string of abuses allegedly carried out by international troops began in 2013 and early 2014, when as many as 14 troops from France, Chad and Equatorial Guinea allegedly raped and sodomized six boys between the ages of 9 and 15. But the series of abuses allegedly carried out by international troops began in 2013 and early 2014, when as many as 14 troops from France, Chad and Equatorial Guinea allegedly raped and sodomized six boys between the ages of 9 and 15.
Last year, a U.N. report by a panel including former Canadian Supreme Court justice Marie Deschamps found that U.N. staff in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, had “turned a blind eye to the criminal actions of individual troops” in that case. Now, U.N. officials face the challenge of mediating a vicious civil war while also policing their own ranks. The mission includes about 11,000 peacekeepers and costs about $600 million per year.
"We are conducting patrols on our own people which has never been done before," said a senior U.N. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity while discussing internal security measures.
One of the problems, the official said, is that the U.N. mission had been accepting troops from the African Union who either were not aware of, or were not concerned about, U.N. values.
"You can't just take African Union troops, put a blue helmet on them and assume their mindset will change overnight," he said, referring to the color of U.N. peacekeepers’ helmets.
Last year, a U.N. report authored by a panel that included former Canadian Supreme Court justice Marie Deschamps said that U.N. staff in Bangui, the Central African Republic’s capital, had “turned a blind eye to the criminal actions of individual troops."
The previous U.N. special representative there, retired Senegalese general Babacar Gaye, was fired in August over his team’s handling of the abuse allegations.
Onanga-Anyanga on Thursday visited the Bambari camp where the alleged abuses took place. He met with the parents of one of the victims who described their daughter as being "dead inside" since she was raped.
"I was fighting my tears," he said. "We have to provide an answer to this suffering."