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| African Countries Are Urged to Investigate Reports of Abuse by Peacekeepers | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| GENEVA — The top human rights official at the United Nations has urged several African members to “intensify their efforts” at prosecuting what he described as longstanding allegations of egregious abuses, including summary killings, by troops they had sent to keep the peace in the Central African Republic, one of the continent’s most dysfunctional and chaotic countries. | GENEVA — The top human rights official at the United Nations has urged several African members to “intensify their efforts” at prosecuting what he described as longstanding allegations of egregious abuses, including summary killings, by troops they had sent to keep the peace in the Central African Republic, one of the continent’s most dysfunctional and chaotic countries. |
| The official, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, the high commissioner for human rights, said he took the step over the weekend partly out of concern about the uproar over a food-for-sex bribery scandal by French soldiers who had been deployed in the country, which his agency investigated last year. | The official, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, the high commissioner for human rights, said he took the step over the weekend partly out of concern about the uproar over a food-for-sex bribery scandal by French soldiers who had been deployed in the country, which his agency investigated last year. |
| The French authorities have undertaken their own inquiry into the scandal, in which soldiers promised food to hungry children in exchange for oral sex. The United Nations has come under criticism by outside advocates who say it should have taken more aggressive action to stop the French abuse. | The French authorities have undertaken their own inquiry into the scandal, in which soldiers promised food to hungry children in exchange for oral sex. The United Nations has come under criticism by outside advocates who say it should have taken more aggressive action to stop the French abuse. |
| “In the wake of the revelations of alleged 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 in the Central African Republic, Mr. al-Hussein said in a statement posted on his agency’s website. | “In the wake of the revelations of alleged 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 in the Central African Republic, Mr. al-Hussein said in a statement posted on his agency’s website. |
| The statement said he had “urged several states to intensify their efforts to investigate longstanding allegations that soldiers in their forces sent to keep the peace in the Central African Republic may have committed very serious violations.” | The statement said he had “urged several states to intensify their efforts to investigate longstanding allegations that soldiers in their forces sent to keep the peace in the Central African Republic may have committed very serious violations.” |
| While Mr. al-Hussein generally praised peacekeeping soldiers deployed after mass killings broke out across the Central African Republic in December 2013, “in some cases the longed-for protectors turned into predators.” | While Mr. al-Hussein generally praised peacekeeping soldiers deployed after mass killings broke out across the Central African Republic in December 2013, “in some cases the longed-for protectors turned into predators.” |
| United Nations human rights staff members reported a range of abuses by troops serving with the African Union peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic last year. The abuses cited by a commission of inquiry report at the end of 2014 included a deadly attack by Chadian troops who opened fire on civilians in a market and the disappearance of 12 people arrested by a Congolese unit. | United Nations human rights staff members reported a range of abuses by troops serving with the African Union peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic last year. The abuses cited by a commission of inquiry report at the end of 2014 included a deadly attack by Chadian troops who opened fire on civilians in a market and the disappearance of 12 people arrested by a Congolese unit. |