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UN confirms new head of troubled Central African Republic mission

Xinhua, January 8, 2016 Adjust font size:

The UN has officially appointed Parfait Onanga-Anyanga as head of its troubled mission in the Central African Republic (CAR), UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said here Thursday.

Onanga-Anyanga's has already been acting in the position since Aug. 16 after his predecessor Babacar Gaye of Senegal resigned following recurrent allegations of sexual abuses by UN peacekeepers in the CAR. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told journalists on Aug. 13 that Gaye's resignation had been tendered "at my request."

However, allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse and other misconduct, including against minors, by UN peacekeepers in the CAR have continued, with new allegations -- involving four young girls as alleged victims -- reported by Dujarric here Tuesday.

Officially, Onanga-Anyanga's title is special representative for the Central African Republic and head of UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic. Onanga-Anyanga of Gabon, has previously worked for the UN's response to Boko Haram and as the UN Secretary-General's special representative for Burundi.

There are currently nearly 11,000 UN peacekeepers in the CAR. The UN's mission was set up in April 2014, to respond to fighting between the mainly Muslim Seleka and mainly Christian anti-Balaka groups. The mission played a major role in providing security last month for the first round of presidential and legislative elections. Enditem