UN Repatriating Peacekeepers Accused of Sexual Abuse

Following the discovery of credible evidence that 11 of the Tanzanian peacekeepers were allegedly involved in the sexual exploitation and abuse of at least four victims, the United Nations said on Friday that it is returning a unit of 60 Tanzanian peacekeepers from the Central African Republic.

In order to safeguard the victims and the integrity of the probe, the team has been transferred to another base while investigations are ongoing, according to U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric. Once the inquiry no longer requires their presence, the unit will be returned home.

According to Dujarric, the mission’s relief organizations are caring for and supporting the victims. He stated that the Central African Republic has been informed, and Tanzanian authorities have sent their own investigators there.

The Tanzanian authorities “noted the seriousness of the allegations and have committed to taking the necessary action to address these matters in reaffirming their commitment to zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse,” Dujarric added.

Tanzania’s U.N. ambassador has been contacted by VOA for comment.

On the more than 17,000-strong mission known by its acronym, MINUSCA, Tanzania is represented by around 1,586 uniformed people in the C.A.R., according to the Department of Peacekeeping website.

When there is solid proof that members of a military or police unit have engaged in widespread or systemic sexual exploitation or abuse, the U.N. has the power to repatriate foreign peacekeepers.

The Central African Republic’s western region is home to a temporary operating site where the Tanzanian peacekeepers were stationed, according to Dujarric.

Since the 1990s, the nation has been caught in a vicious cycle of political unrest, bloodshed, and violations of human rights. The United Nations authorized the stability mission to the country the next year as a result of fierce sectarian warfare in 2013.

Since it was founded, MINUSCA has repeatedly run into issues with foreign peacekeepers abusing minors and indulging in sexual exploitation.

Dujarric told reporters that the UN “remains committed to vigorously implementing the secretary-general’s zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse.”