Georgia’s Defence Ministry suspends 6 employees in wake of CAR child abuse allegations

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).

The Ministry underlined it was cooperating with the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (UNCHR) investigation into the alleged abuse by service members of Georgian peacekeeping forces in 2014.

Defence Minister Tinatin Khidasheli told reporters following today's National Security Council meeting that staff overseeing Georgia's involvement in the CAR peacekeeping mission had been suspended while investigations into the matter were ongoing.

The most crucial and important thing is ensure that the name and prestige the Georgian Army has made for itself over so many years - and with which all of us are very proud - is maintained," said Khidasheli in her comments to the media.

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.

Georgia's Defence Minister released a statement on its official Twitter account today, confirming the Office's readiness to investigate the matter "in great detail":

Statement by the Ministry of #Defence of #Georgia: https://t.co/GplKdjvzGv#UnitedNations#HumanRightspic.twitter.com/QvF8oozYoy

— MOD Georgia (@ModGovGe) January 29, 2016

A local inquiry was launched by Georgia's Military Police after the UNCHR today published information on the allegations of abuse in the 2014 CAR mission.

The UNCHR statement read: "Four of the girls said their abusers were attached to contingents operating as part of the European Union operation (EUFOR/CAR). 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."

"While the nationalities of some of the soldiers remain unclear, three of the girls said they believed their abusers were members of the Georgian EUFOR contingent. The four girls were aged between 14 and 16 at the time of the alleged abuse."

"UN human rights staff also interviewed a girl and a boy who were aged 7 and 9 respectively when they were allegedly abused in 2014 by French Sangaris troops. The girl said she had performed oral sex on French soldiers in exchange for a bottle of water and a sachet of cookies. 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 UNCHR also provided information on the case directly to Georgia's Defence Ministry, as Khidasheli's office announced it would fully cooperate with the investigation. Khidasheli said the involved individuals would be punished "with the full severity of the law" if found guilty.

Chief of General Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces Major General Vakhtang Kapanadze held a special briefing today in response to the UN High Commissioner's statement. Photo by Defence Ministry's press office.

Chief of General Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces Major General Vakhtang Kapanadze confirmed the Army would respond adequately if it was proven the dismissed staff had failed in their duties.

Georgia’s President and Supreme Commander of the Georgian Armed Forces Giorgi Margvelashvili stressed Georgia made a positive impact in global peacekeeping missions and stressed the necessity to wait until the completion of the investigations.

In the UNCHR announcement UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein referred to details of the case that had "only came to light in recent weeks".