Children who reported they were abused by peacekeeping soldiers have been left on the streets to fend for themselves despite promises to look after them.
The revelation that international peacekeepers had been sexually abusing children in Central African Republic was at the centre of a huge controversy that erupted in 2015, and resulted in the resignation of senior UN official Anders Kompass, the whistleblower who exposed the UN’s failure to tackle the abuse.
Now an investigation has found that some of the victims are homeless, out of school, and resorting to making a living on the streets, despite assurances from the UN that they would be protected.
One teenager, David, 17, who sleeps rough near Bangui airport, told reporters from Swedish Television’s investigative programme Uppdrag Granskning (Mission: Investigate) that he was fending for himself as best he could. Other children told a similar story.
“I have not received any help,” said David, who was interviewed by officials investigating reports of abuse by the French Sangaris peacekeeping force, which were later leaked to the Guardian.
The Sangaris force was not part of the UN peacekeeping mission in CAR, but since then, other cases of alleged sexual abuse and exploitation by UN peacekeepers from countries including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Benin and others have emerged.
“There is no one who can help us. We are trying to get it together on our own: we wash up for people, we pick up water for the people, we wash cars. That is [how we have made our living] since then,” said David.
Junior, 16, also reported being sexually abused by soldiers. He wants to train to be a mechanic but is living rough and is not in school: “We would like to have some support for our studies,” he said.
When the scandal first broke in 2015, the French president, François Hollande, vowed to “show no mercy” to any French soldiers found guilty of assault in CAR. The UN said it would do its utmost to protect and assist the victims.
But in December it was revealed that the three French judges who had investigated the cases were not seeking to bring charges. The final decision rests with the Paris prosecutor, but judicial sources said that they expected the cases to be dropped altogether.
David said the victims had given up waiting for the promises to be fulfilled: “We thought that the authorities of Central African Republic will do something about this. But until now, nothing. That’s why we don’t follow it any more. I don’t know anything. We have no idea about the investigation.”
Of the 80 cases of abuse allegedly committed by international peacekeepers in CAR between 2014 and 2016, half involve children and nine left girls pregnant with so-called peacekeeper babies.
In January 2015, Martha, then 14, became pregnant by a soldier for Minusca (United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Central African Republic). She was living in a displaced persons camp in Bambari.
She first became involved with the Congolese peacekeeper, who was in his 30s, after her father was murdered by an armed gang and her mother suffered a breakdown. He gave her food and money and promised he would marry her. But in the course of her pregnancy, Martha discovered she was HIV-positive. The UN heard about the case and the soldier was sent back to DRC, but Martha was left to raise the baby by herself.
“He said he’d help, support me, and support my mother who was in the hospital,” said Martha.
Now, rather than being at school, Martha spends her days washing, cooking, cleaning and looking after the baby. “I miss [school] a lot,” she said: “I so much wanted to go back this year.”
When interviewed by Swedish Television in January, Martha said the UN had given her 10,000 CFA (approximately £13), a bag of rice, and some milk and sugar.
The UN children’s agency, Unicef, which was given the task of overseeing the support of the children abused by peacekeepers, said it was unaware that youngsters were not getting help.
More than 200 children registered in Unicef’s assistance programme for minors said they had been victims of sexual abuse by peacekeepers.
Unicef’s representative in CAR, Aboubacry Tall, said: “The information that I have is that there is a weekly review with the partners, and my staff go out in the field as well to make sure that those that are in the [child protection] programme are in the programme and are being supported.”
He added that there “may be a gap here and a gap there”.
After reporters brought Martha’s case to the attention of Minusca, UN officers provided more support.
A UN report released this month found that cases of alleged sexual exploitation and abuse involving troops and civilian staff across all UN missions had increased year on year by 46% – up to 145 cases in 2016 from 99 in 2015.
The vast majority took place in CAR.
Earlier this month, the UN secretary general, António Guterres, announced a series of proposed measures to tackle abuse by UN peacekeepers of different nationalities, which has been reported in several countries. His plans include withholding soldiers’ salaries if their governments fail to undertake proper investigations of allegations involving troops, putting the money instead towards a trust fund for victims.
Guterres also proposed that a victims’ rights advocate would be appointed in four UN missions most affected by high instances of sexual abuse – CAR, DRC, Haiti and South Sudan.
The UN general assembly will be asked to endorse the measures later this year.
- Children’s names have been changed for protection
- Inna Lazareva worked as a researcher for Uppdrag Granskning