Hollande vows 鈥榟arsh punishment鈥 if soldiers abused African children
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President Francois Hollande yesterday vowed to 鈥渟how no mercy鈥 if French peacekeepers in Central African Republic were found guilty of raping hungry children in exchange for food.
The allegations, which came to light this week when Britain鈥檚 Guardian newspaper published extracts of an internal UN report, risks damaging the reputation of France鈥檚 peacekeeping operations in Africa.
According to a French judicial source, several children 鈥 the youngest just nine 鈥 allege that 14 French soldiers dispatched to restore order after a 2013 coup were involved in sexually abusing some of them in exchange for food.
Subsequent French inquiries identified some of them, the source said, adding that none had yet been questioned.
鈥淚f this information is confirmed ... the punishment will be proportionate to the deeds. If they are serious, the punishment will be harsh,鈥 Hollande told reporters. 鈥淚 will be implacable.鈥
Hollande is a strong advocate of using French military might to secure peace in ex-colonies such as Central African Republic or Mali.
France鈥檚 Defense Ministry said abuse allegedly took place at a center for displaced people at M鈥橮oko airport in the capital Bangui and involved about 10 children. It said it would take 鈥渁ll necessary measures鈥 to establish the truth.
鈥淚t is unacceptable that kids less than 10 years old are raped like this by those sent there to protect the population,鈥 Remy Djamouss, head of the local children鈥檚 rights agency CPDE, said in Bangui.
The judicial source said soldiers of other nationalities were also implicated. French prosecutors will ask for a French army report to be declassified, the source said. The Bangui public prosecutor said he had also opened an investigation.
France intervened in Central African Republic, a former French colony, 18 months ago. It started withdrawing some of its 2,000 troops this year, handing over to UN peacekeepers.
A spokesman for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon confirmed on Wednesday that the UN office for human rights in Bangui had conducted an investigation in 2014.
He said a UN staff member had admitted leaking an unredacted report on the investigation before it reached top management in the UN鈥檚 Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
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