...boodling on the grand scale...
officials today disclosed the names of some of the countries whose troops are accused of sexually exploiting and abusing minors in the Central African Republic (CAR), including both non-UN and UN forces tasked with maintaining peace and security in the conflict-torn nation.
"I think it's hard to imagine the outrage that the people working for the United Nations and for the causes of peace and security feel when these kinds of allegations come to light. Particularly involving minors, it's so hard to understand" said Anthony Banbury, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Field Support, in an emotional address to news hounds in New York.
Fighting back tears, Mr. Banbury said the UN is doing everything it possibly can to assist victims, to bring accountability and justice for them, and to prevent these cases from recurring.It is also clear that all foreign military forces, whether UN or non-UN, must employ much stronger and more effective actions to prevent further abuse and exploitation -- and not just in CAR.
He announced that a new website will soon feature a report by UN Secretary-General
the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon on special measures to combat sexual exploitation and abuse, expected to be released next month. For the first time, it will identify the countries involved in the cases and provide granular information about individual allegations, the status of investigations, as well as on any disciplinary action taken.Highlighting that transparency is an important part to combatting this "incredibly difficult scourge," the UN peacekeeping official today named some of the countries involved--all of which are UN-forces: Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo
...formerly the Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Zaire, and who knows what else, not to be confused with the Brazzaville Congo aka
Republic of Congo, which is much smaller and much more (for Africa) stable. DRC gave the world Patrice Lumumba and Joseph Mobutu, followed by years of tedious civil war. Its principle industry seems to be the production of corpses. With a population of about 74 million it has lots of raw material...
(DRC), Morocco, Niger, and Senegal
... a nation of about 14 million on the west coast of Africa bordering Mauretania to the north, Mali to the east, and a pair of Guineas to the south, one of them Bissau. It is 90 percent Mohammedan and has more than 80 political parties. Its primary purpose seems to be absorbing refugees...
.
He noted that all victims in these cases were minors at the time of the alleged abuses, perpetrated by a total of 10 people from these 5 countries. He also indicated that the UN has launched its own investigation in the cases involving the DRC and Niger, as the countries did not respond to the UN's request to take the lead on the matter.
