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UN chief appoints new head of UN mission in Central African Republic

Xinhua, August 15, 2015 Adjust font size:

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Friday announced the appointment of Parfait Onanga-Anyanga of Gabon as his acting special representative for the Central African Republic (CAR) and head of UN peacekeeping mission in the CAR (MINUSCA).

Onanga-Anyanga is to replace Babacar Gaye of Senegal, who resigned Wednesday, said a statement released by Ban's spokesperson.

According to the UN, Onanga-Anyanga brings with him several years of experience with the UN in conflict-affected areas, including as head of the UN office in Burundi, having served most recently as the assistant-secretary-general, system-wide senior coordinator on Burundi in addition to his role as the coordinator of UN headquarters response to the Boko Haram crisis.

On Wednesday, Gaye tendered his resignation at Ban's request after international rights organization Amnesty International said they had evidence suggesting that UN peacekeepers in the Central African Republic had raped a 12-year-old girl and apparently indiscriminately killed a 16-year-old boy and his father.

Pressure is mounting on the beleaguered MINUSCA, already under scrutiny over its recent handling of similar allegations. According to media reports, French soldiers sexually abused starving young boys at a center for internally displaced people in Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, between December 2013 and June 2014. Endite