Africa (Commonwealth Union) _ The United Nations has announced that a unit of 60 Tanzanian peacekeepers will be sent home from the Central African Republic following allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse. According to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, a preliminary investigation found “credible evidence” that eleven members of the unit were involved in such misconduct, targeting four victims, two of whom are children.
The investigation also revealed a breakdown in the commanders’ authority and management of staff. The Eleven United Nations peacekeepers deployed in the Central African Republic (CAR) have been accused of engaging in sexual exploitation and abuse, according to the UN. The initial findings from the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services indicate that members of a Tanzanian peacekeeping unit stationed in the western part of the country were involved in exploiting and abusing four victims. The UN mission in CAR, known as MINUSCA, promptly responded by deploying a rapid intervention team to assess the allegations and provide support to the victims.
To protect the victims and maintain the integrity of the investigation, the implicated unit has been relocated to another base and confined to the barracks. The investigation is still ongoing, but once it is completed, the entire unit of 60 peacekeepers will be repatriated. It is yet to be confirmed if any of the victims are minors, but there are indications pointing in that direction.
The Central African Republic has been plagued by violent intercommunal conflicts since 2013 when predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power. Retaliatory attacks by mostly Christian militias followed, resulting in numerous casualties and mass displacement. In response, the UN deployed a peacekeeping mission in 2014, which currently consists of nearly 17,500 uniformed personnel. However, the UN has faced recurring allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation by peacekeepers, particularly in CAR and neighboring Congo.
In 2021, following credible reports of sexual abuse by a contingent from Gabon and previous allegations, UN Secretary-General António Guterres ordered the immediate repatriation of the implicated peacekeepers. These incidents have shed a spotlight on the need for the UN to address and prevent such misconduct, ensuring the safety and well-being of vulnerable populations in countries affected by conflicts.
e UN mission in the Central African Republic has been working closely with humanitarian groups to provide medical, psychosocial, and protective support to the victims.
The Tanzanian unit had been stationed at a temporary base in the western part of the country but has now been relocated to another base with its members confined to the barracks. They will be repatriated once their presence is no longer required for the investigation. Tanzanian authorities have dispatched their own investigation officers to the Central African Republic to look into the allegations.
This incident is not isolated, as UN figures indicate that there have been allegations of sexual abuse or exploitation by Tanzanian peacekeepers, primarily in the Democratic Republic of Congo, every year since at least 2015. The United Nations has maintained a mission in the Central African Republic since 2014, with thousands of peacekeepers deployed to address the ongoing conflict in the country.
