Roundup: UN shocked by new sexual abuse allegations in CAR

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday expressed his shock over latest allegations of sexual abuse by international forces in the Central African Republic (CAR) as new information surfaced on such crimes committed between 2013 and 2015 by UN and non-UN personnel.

A UN delegation was sent to the CAR to gather more information on new allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a daily briefing that so far 108 alleged victims have been interviewed in the area. "The vast majority of the cases unfortunately do involve minors," he noted.

Ban said in a statement that he was shocked to the core by the allegations and that focus should be given to women and young children who have been "traumatized in the worst imaginable way."

Code Blue, a campaign of the civil society group AIDS-Free World aiming to end impunity for UN peacekeeping personnel, published on its website that 98 girls in a province of CAR reported to the UN that they had been sexually abused by international peacekeepers.

Moreover, the group said three girls told a UN human rights officer that they were tied up and undressed inside a camp by a military commander from the Sangaris force, the French military intervention in CAR, and forced to be involved in bestiality.

The Sangaris force was operating under the authorization of the Security Council but not under UN command.

"The exact number and nature of these extremely troubling allegations are still being determined," said Dujarric. "Allegations made against the French Sangaris forces in the same area are also being investigated."

The UN Security Council urged Thursday full and urgent investigations into these allegations and said "those responsible should be held accountable."

Ismael Abraao Gaspar Martins, Ambassador of Angola and president of the Security Council in March, told reporters here that the French authorities said they will investigate into the allegations and will report to the Council.

On March 11, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution to take strong action to combat the problem of sexual exploitation and abuse committed by peacekeepers since the United Nations has been under mounting pressure as the allegations against peacekeepers continue to surface.

The resolution requests UN Secretary-General to replace all military and police unit of a troop or police contributing country in UN peacekeeping operations if the country has not taken appropriate actions to investigate their personnel or hold perpetrators accountable.

Earlier this month, the UN published a report saying the total number of allegations received of sexual abuse in the UN system in 2015 was 99. Among them 69 took place in countries where?? peacekeeping operations and 22 were in CAR.

"These crimes only fester in silence," said Ban, while stressing that member states "who alone have the power to discipline their forces with consequences" must take actions.

UN General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft said on Thursday he is appalled by allegations by "the very people meant to protect civilians and vulnerable populations in conflict and post conflict situations," while the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, called the latest allegations as "sickening."

The General Assembly president also said he is going to hold an informal hearing in the 193-member General Assembly on this matter.

On Wednesday, the UN Department of Field Support formally notified the permanent UN missions of all 193 member states of the establishment of the "Trust Fund in Support of Victims of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse", urging them to consider voluntary financial contributions.

"The contributions will be used to provide medical, legal and psycho-social assistance to victims and children born as a result of sexual exploitation and abuse," said Dujarric. Enditem