The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid
Ra’ad Al Hussein, issued a press release on Saturday 30 May 2015 stating that he had urged
several states to intensify their efforts to investigate allegations that their
forces in CAR may have committed very serious violations. These violations
included killing civilians, summary executions, abductions and sexual
exploitation of local women.
The UN High Commissioner said: “In the wake of the revelations of alleged
serious sexual abuse of children, currently under investigation by the French
authorities, my Office has taken a deeper look into these issues and the extent
of the follow-up into alleged serious violations by soldiers belonging to
several other international contingents operating under the MISCA umbrella in
2014- Some of these incidents have been at least partly investigated, and some
States have apparently sanctioned some of the soldiers involved, but the fact
that a number of foreign contingents may have been implicated is in itself a
matter of enormous concern.”
Several incidents involving excessive use of
force, enforced disappearances and sexual exploitation and violence were
investigated by UN human rights officers on the ground and the International Commission
of Inquiry on the Central African Republic. The findings were published in a
report in December 2014. Although the report has resulted in some preliminary
actions by states, the UN High Commissioner said that it is not sufficient, and
the punishment must fit the crime. “There must be accountability for serious
crimes, no matter who commits them.”
According to the UN High Commissioner the
forces involved in these incidents were not operating under the UN flag; instead
they were international contingents operating under the MISCA (Mission internationale de soutien à la
Centrafrique sous conduit, The African Union peacekeeping mission to the Central African
Republic).
/Jann
