In
Central African Republic, More
UN Sex Abuse Charges, ICP Asks
Prior to SG Trip
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS,
October 17 –
The UN Security Council has a
peacekeeping mission in the
Central African Republic, and
UN Secretary General Antonio
Guterres is about to visit
there. On October 16 Guterres'
spokesman said there would be
a trip announcement on October
17 at 1 pm; Inner City Press
asked if it would be allowed
to ask questions. Given
censorship continuing under
Guterres and his head of Communications
Alison Smale, Inner City Press
asked in advance on October 16
about new UN sexual abuse and
exploitation charges against
peacekeepers, not only from
Mauritania (about which Inner
City Press previously asked,
see below) but also Burundi,
Pakistan and Morocco, photo here.
We'll have more on this. This
as Guterres' new head of
Global Communication Alison
Smale told her staff that
their presentation of CAR will
be a litmus test of performance,
as she moved to bring in
outside consultants. When as here the
UN doesn't respond to or even
acknowledge bad news, it loses
even more credibility. Despite
UN Secretary General Antonio
Guterres talk of “zero
tolerance” for sexual
exploitation by UN
peacekeepers abuses continue,
for example the alleged
drugging and raping of a 19
(or the UN says, 16) year old
girl by Mauritanian forces in
Bambari in the Central African
Republic. Inner City Press
asked Guterres' Deputy
Spokesman Farhan Haq about the
alleged rape on October 12; he
disputed the age but confirmed
that the “relevant country” is
Mauritania. Video here;
transcript here
and below. Meanwhile Guterres'
head of Global Communications
Alison Smale, who has not
responded for five weeks to
detailed Press petitions about
unnecessary and unjustifiable
restrictions and targeting for
investigative reporting, told
her staff on October 3 that
creating good news from
Guterres' trip to the Central
African Republic later this
month will be a litmus test
for the UN. She said Guterres
and she have discussed
bringing in outside
consultants -- that is,
spending yet more public money
-- and said she would keep her
staff informed. She told them,
My office door is open,
sometimes an e-mail door. But
she does not answer detailed
e-mail. That, is a litmus
test. We'll have more on this.
From the UN's October 12 transcript:
Inner City Press: a
19-year-old woman who says
that she was both drugged and
then raped by UN peacekeepers
in Bambari in [the Central
African Republic]. And
it's a very detailed
account. She was on her
way to a funeral. She
was offered tea. She
woke up naked and having been
raped. And I'm just
wondering, what steps has the
UN taken with regard to the
peacekeeper at issue or other
peacekeepers in this case?
Deputy Spokesman: Well,
regarding that, yes, we were
provided with information that
members of one contingent
sexually abused a 16-year-old
girl on… not a 19-year-old
girl, by the way. The
information we have is that
she's 16… on 30
September. As of 10
October, which is Tuesday, the
[United Nations
Multidimensional Integrated
Stabilization Mission in the
Central African Republic]
(MINUSCA) informed the
relevant country through
official channels from the
Department of Field Support
for further investigation and
action. And what we're
expecting is we've requested
that… normally, a Member State
has up to 10 working days to
respond to the UN about
whether it will investigate
the matter through the
appointment of a national
investigation officer, and
we've requested that this be
expedited to five days.
So, we're awaiting a reply.
Inner City Press: And is the
Member State at issue
Mauritania? Deputy
Spokesman: Yes, yes, it
is.
***
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