The Guardian: Soldiers from 10 countries allegedly involved in CAR child abuse
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Troops from about ten foreign military contingents in the Central African Republic (CAR) have now been embroiled in sexual misconduct allegations, The Guardian reports.
The United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (UNCHR) said it was difficult to estimate how many individual soldiers might have been involved but they were from ten different contingents serving in the CAR mission.
Leading British media outlet The Guardian said along with the UN troops, police from Bangladesh, Congo, Niger and Senegal were also allegedly involved in sexual abuse cases of children in CAR.
The Guardian said the UN could report such allegations but countries themselves were responsible for prosecuting their troops over such crimes.
The UNCHR report said among the alleged offenders were members of Georgian and French contingents within an EU force, and a soldier from another European country that was not named because "additional corroboration is needed” in that case.
Georgia’s Defence Ministry said it received the allegations "with great concern”, adding that "it is our goal to investigate this matter in great detail and in case such grave crimes are proven, perpetrators of such crimes will be brought to justice”.
"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).
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.
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.