UNHR chief worried over allegations of sexual abuse in CAR

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Al Hussein says he is extremely alarmed at continuing allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse of minors in the Central African Republic, CAR, by members of foreign military forces.
The UN chief said that the alleged crimes mostly took place in 2014, but only came to light in recent weeks.
According to a statement by Hussein on Friday in New York, a joint UN team in CAR recently interviewed a number of girls who said they had been sexually exploited or abused by foreign soldiers.
"These are extremely serious accusations and it is crucial that these cases are thoroughly and urgently investigated,” he said.
According to his Office, OHCHR, four of the girls said their abusers were attached to contingents operating as part of the European Union operation (EUFOR/CAR).
It added that two of the girls interviewed said they were raped by EUFOR soldiers, and the two other girls said they were paid to have sexual relationships with other EUFOR soldiers.
OHCHR said that while the nationalities of some of the soldiers remained unclear, three of the girls said they believed their abusers were members of the Georgian EUFOR contingent.
It said that the four girls were aged between 14 and 16 at the time of the alleged abuse.
It added that the human rights staff also interviewed a girl and a boy, aged seven and nine respectively when they were allegedly abused in 2014 by French Sangaris troops.
It said the girl said she had performed oral sex on French soldiers in exchange for a bottle of water and a sachet of cookies.
The OHCHR said that both she and the nine-year-old boy said that other children were abused in a similar fashion in repeated incidents involving several French soldiers.
The UN agency said all six cases involving non-UN foreign military forces took place in, or near, the M’Poko camp for displaced people next to the airport in the capital, Bangui.
It would be recalled that Hussein on Tuesday, raised the cases with the European, Georgian and French authorities, as well as with another country on a similar allegation for which additional corroboration is needed.
He said all four authorities have promptly responded to the High Commissioner and stated that they have already begun investigations or referred the cases to relevant judicial authorities in their respective countries.
“I am heartened at the initial responses we have received from the countries concerned, as well as from the European Union, which show they take these terrible allegations very seriously.
"Far too many of these crimes continue to go unpunished, with the perpetrators enjoying full impunity.
"This simply encourages further violations. States have an obligation to investigate, prosecute and ensure that the victims receive the redress to which they are entitled.
"As more and more cases emerge, implicating more and more national contingents, it is also clear that all foreign military forces, whether UN or non-UN, must employ much stronger and more effective actions to prevent further abuse and exploitation and not just in CAR,” he stated.
While the cases raised by the High Commissioner relate to non-UN military forces, OHCHR also reported that a number of cases involving UN peacekeepers came to light during the interviews carried out by the joint UN team.
Those cases are being raised separately by the UN departments dealing with peacekeeping with the relevant countries that contribute troops to the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in CAR, in accordance with standard of the world body policy.