The UN chief condemns abuses committed by domestic and international troops in the Central African Republic.
The UN chief condemns abuses committed by domestic and international troops in the Central African Republic.
UNITED NATIONS, REPUBLIC OF THE UNITED STATES – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that the Central African Republic’s army and its foreign allies have been guilty of crimes. This is a reference to paramilitary fighters from Russia’s Wagner group.
In a report to the Security Council on Tuesday, Guterres said “I continue to be outraged by the continuous escalation in human rights abuses and breaches of international humanitarian law committed by all parties to the conflict, including the disproportionate use of force.”
Since 2013, the Central African Republic has been embroiled in a civil conflict. While violence had subsided for many years, it returned unexpectedly in late 2020 when rebels launched an unsuccessful operation to depose President Faustin-Archange Touadera.
He said: “I call on national governments to show that they are taking concrete and immediate steps to avoid serious human rights violations by national security forces and other security professionals, especially those directed at ethnic and religious minorities.”
The United Nations uses the phrase “other security people” to designate the hundreds of Russian paramilitary troops that fight with the army and have assisted them in pushing rebels back from their strongholds over the last year.
The UN accused mercenaries and the Central African military of abuse in 2021, in addition to its continued condemnation of atrocities against civilians perpetrated by the country’s rebel factions.
In the current report, which covers the period from October to February, Guterres highlights an operation in Bria, some 370 miles (600 kilometres) northeast of the capital Bangui.
The operation, which began in mid-January, led to “17 civilian deaths” and “widespread relocation,” the report said, but did not give any more information.
“Minusca” was denied access three times in January because “the locations of the disputed events were private,” says Guterres. The UN peacekeeping force was also denied access to “other security personnel” three times in January because the locations of the disputed events were “private.”
MINUSCA has around 15,000 military and police officers and an annual budget of about $1 billion.
Throughout the assessment period, “armed groups, national defence and security forces, and other security personnel continued to attack humanitarian staff,” Guterres said.
Since October, he added, “the humanitarian situation has deteriorated,” adding that 63% of the population — or 3.1 million Central Africans — needs protection and humanitarian assistance at the greatest level in five years.
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