A senior U.N. official has been deployed to the Central African Republic in the wake of new reports which reveal more than 100 women and children were sexually assaulted by U.N. peacekeepers. Unfortunately, these reports represent a continuation of an ongoing problem that began when the U.N. first entered the region two years ago. In March, 2013, Muslim rebels succeeded in ousting President Francois Bozize, which quickly led to clashes between Muslim and Christian militias as both sides battled for power. By the end of the year, the intense fighting had evolved into a humanitarian crisis as hundreds of thousands of civilians attempted to flee the bloodshed in their nation that was already deemed one of the poorest in the wold.
The U.N. is eager to attempt to verify the reports in a show of accountability as they receive increased criticism. In December, the U.N. published a report concerning sexual assaults by their peacekeepers, which stated, "the credibility of the U.N. and the future of peacekeeping operations are in jeopardy." Despite such ominous words, the subsequent months only brought more horrifying allegations.
The United Nations convened in New York on Tuesday, during which time they laid out a plan for how to tackle this problem moving forward. In addition to seeking the verification of the allegations against peacekeepers, Under-Secretary-General for Field Support Atul Khare called on the counties in which the attacks took place to carry out their own criminal investigations.
As the U.N. sends officials to deal with the problem, the number of allegations can be expected to rise.
Adam Poklop
http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/06/africa/united-nations-peacekeepers-sexual-abuse/index.html
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment