Georgian investigators travel to Central African Republic for child abuse inquiry
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A team of investigators from the Ministry of Defence of Georgia will travel to the Central African Republic (CAR) tomorrow to attend an inquiry into allegations of child sexual abuse by peacekeeping troops.
The team will be comprised of eight experts from various offices and will depart Tbilisi on June 4.
Employees from the Military Police, General Inspection, Ministry's International Relations Department and other state agencies are part of the group that’s tasked to investigate the allegations of abuse, which stem back to 2014.
The specific procedures and topics of their investigation will be determined after their arrival in the CAR, the Defence Ministry said.
The Ministry has been cooperating with the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (UNCHR) since the latter's report in January 2016.
The report concerned alleged abuse of children by members of Georgian peacekeeping troops in the CAR in 2014.
The High Commissioner's report also stated members of Georgian and French contingents within an EU force were among the alleged offenders.
Following the report, staff overseeing Georgia's involvement in the CAR mission were suspended by Georgia's Defence Ministry while investigations into the matter were ongoing.
The six dismissed staff were not accused of committing the alleged child abuse; they were in charge of the entire Georgian peacekeeping mission in the CAR.
Troops from about ten foreign military contingents in the Central African Republic (CAR) have now been embroiled in sexual misconduct allegations.
"The US has been proud to partner with the Georgian military on numerous peacekeeping initiatives, and it would be a shame if the allegations were allowed to tarnish the Georgian military’s proud reputation," Ambassador Kelly said.
The Ministry of Defence of Georgia has temporarily relieved six employees, including a Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces, after allegations emerged this afternoon that Georgian soldiers were involved in the alleged sexual abuse of children in the Central African Republic (CAR).
Georgia is the first country to carry out a local investigation regarding allegations of child abuse by peacekeepers in the Central African Republic (CAR).
Two investigations by the United Nations (UN) and Georgian experts reveal there is no proof Georgian soldiers sexually abused children in the Central African Republic (CAR) while serving there in a peacekeeping mission.
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