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More Than 100 UN Peacekeepers Will Be Sent Home For Sex Abuse In CAR

February 4, 2016

According to the United Nations (UN), more than 100 peacekeepers currently operating in the Central African Republic (CAR) are being sent home after an investigation revealed their role in a sexual abuse scandal.

According to the United Nations (UN), more than 100 peacekeepers currently operating in the Central African Republic (CAR) are being sent home after an investigation revealed their role in a sexual abuse scandal.

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In addition to the 20 previous allegations of abuse, the UN is investigating 8 fresh charges. The soldiers set to be repatriated are from Congo-Brazzaville. During the current investigation, the peacekeepers will be kept to their barracks.

Last week the UN announced that European troops were also linked to child sex abuse allegations. The announcement was made after several girls, between the ages of 14 and 16, alleged they had been raped by Georgian soldiers of the European Union’s operation EuFor in CAR.

The UN Envoy for CAR, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, expressed outrage and shame at the revelations.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) noted that most of the abuse occurred while the Congolese peacekeepers were deployed at the Bambari airport.

In December 2015, an independent panel criticized the UN’s handling of the abuse scandal.  

CAR has been in turmoil since rebels seized power in March 2013 and various militias took up arms against them.

The UN deployed a 10,000 strong peacekeeping force to the country in September 2014.