Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by Intervention Forces in Central African Republic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51867/ajer.v2i1.14Keywords:
Sexual Abuse and Exploitation, Central Africa Republic, MINUSCAAbstract
Sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) continues to undermine UN operations thereby affecting the efficacy of these interventions. This study investigating the extent of “allegations of SEA by intervention force with reference to UN intervention in contemporary African conflicts: A Case of Central Africa Republic (CAR).” This was a library-based research that relied on secondary data. Data was obtained from books, e-books, journals, UN publications and websites. The collected data was analysed thematically so as to establish the extent of allegations of sea by intervention force in CAR. The findings show that UN interventions force in CAR is faced with a myriad of challenges that affect its mandate execution. Much as there has been some positive output in MINUSCA operations, these successes have been shadowed by some of these challenges. SEA has been widespread in Central African Republic, though some of the allegations date before the UN intervention, the wide perception of the populace is that the UN forces are to blame. From the study it can also be concluded that the UN has its hands tied and has not been able to effectively enforce investigations by the TCCs since this a responsibility of the T/PCCs. Given the fact that the UN always faces a challenge of raising troops for PKOs it does not want to lose this ability further by blacklisting TCCs who fail to complete such investigations and punish the offenders. The system wide measures put in place in support of the ‘Zero tolerance” policy has not been effective. Since the study has established that SEA is a real challenge facing PKOs, there should also be effort to make sure that each country takes direct responsibility for the crimes perpetuated by their contingents and failure to complete investigations and conclude such cases should be enforced by strict penalties including banning from participation in PKOs.
References
Books
Cedric de Coning, “Implications of Stabilization Mandates for the use of force in UN Peace Operations”, in Use of force in UN Peacekeeping, Peter Nadin (ed) (London: Routledge, 2018)
Nalbandov, Robert, Foreign Intervention in Ethnic Conflicts, (Burlington: Ashgate, 2009).
Olivera, Simic, ‘Regulation of Sexual Conduct in Peacekeeping Operations’(New York, London: Springer, 2012), p.41. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=l4KwJVeCp14C&lpg=PP1&pg=PR3#v=onepage&q&f=false
Sandra Whitworth, ‘Men, Militarism and UN Peacekeeping: A Gendered Analysis’, (Boulder, Colorado: Lynne Rienner, 2004).
UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations and Department of Field Support, United Nations Peacekeeping Operations: Principles and Guidelines (New York: UN, 2008).
Whitworth, Sandra, Men, militarism, and UN peacekeeping (Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2004).
Journal Articles
Awori, T, Lutz, C and Thapa, P, Final report: expert mission to evaluate risks to SEA prevention efforts in MINUSTAH,UNMIL,MONUSCO and UNMISS (New York: UN, 2013), p. 1. http://static1.squarespace.com/static/514a0127e4b04d7440e8045d/t/55afcfa1e4b07b89d11d35ae/1437585313823/2013+Expert+Team+Report+FINAL.pdf. Accessed on 6 September 2019
Bere, Mathieu "Armed Rebellion, Violent Extremism, and the Challenges of International Intervention in Mali." African Conflict and Peacebuilding Review 7, no. 2 (2017). http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/africonfpeacrevi.7.2.03. p66
Chester, Crocker, A., and Fen Osler Hampson. "Making Peace Settlements Work." Foreign Policy, no. 104 (1996): 54-71. doi:10.2307/1148990
Jenna Stern, Reducing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in UN Peacekeeping Ten Years after the Zeid Report civilians in conflict policy brief no.1, February 2015
Mathieu Bere. "Armed Rebellion, Violent Extremism, and the Challenges of International Intervention in Mali." African Conflict and Peacebuilding Review 7, no. 2 (2017): 60-84. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/africonfpeacrevi.7.2.03.
Stimson Center. Report. Stimson Center, 2016. Accessed March 10, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/resrep10812.
UN Documents/Reports
UN Secretary-General (UNSG), Special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse (New York: UN, 2015).
UN. (n.d.), List of Past Peacekeeping Operations [online]. Accessed on September 6, 2019.
United Nations, ‘Report of the Secretary General on the Work of the Organization’, UN Document A/49/1, September, 1994.
United Nations, Report of an independent review on sexual exploitation and abuse by international peacekeeping forces in the Central African Republic: “Taking action on sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers” (A/71/99). 23 June 2016)
UNSG, ‘Secretary-General's Bulletin: special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse ST/SGB/2003/13’, 2003.
UN Security Council resolutions 2127 (2013), 2134 (2014) and 2149 (2014).
UNSG Report A/70/729. (2016). Special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse. Report of the Secretary-General, UN Doc A/70/729. http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/issues/cdu Accessed 5 November 2019]
UNSG, ‘Secretary-General's remarks to Security Council consultations on the situation in CAR’ (New York: UN, 2015), http://www.un.org/sg/statements/index.asp?nid=8903.
UNSG, Secretary-General Appoints Jane Holl Lute of United States as Special Coordinator on Improving United Nations Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SG/A/1634-BIO/4812 8 February 2016).
UNSCR S/2016/305, 1 April 2016. https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/s_2016_305.pdf. Accessed on 6 September 2019
Websites
A comprehensive strategy to eliminate future sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations peacekeeping operations. A/59/710.
Amnesty International. (2015). CAR: UN troops implicated in rape of girl and indiscriminate killings must be investigated. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/08/car-un-troops-implicated-in-rape-of-girland-indiscriminate-killings-must-be-investigated/ .Accessed 01 December 2019.
Centre for Civilians in Conflict: Central African Republic, https://civiliansinconflict.org/our-work/where-we-work/central-african-republic/
Centre for Civilians in Conflict. (2017). The Primacy of Protection: Delivering on the MINUSCA Mandate. United States of America: Centre for Civilians in Conflict. https://civiliansinconflict.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/CIVIC-MINUSCA-Report_WEB.pdf
Gabrielle, Simm. "Regulating Sex in Peace Operations." In Regulatory Theory: Foundations and Applications, edited by Drahos Peter, 415-28. Acton ACT, Australia: ANU Press, 2017. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1q1crtm.34.
Gambari, I. Africa's Major Challenges and United Nations Reform Agenda: Implications for United States Policy Address.(2005).https://www.un.org/en/africa/osaa/pdf/gambari/2005-africas-major-challenges.pdf.
Human Rights Watch, (HRW,2016), Central African Republic: Rape by Peacekeepers, UN, Troop-Contributing Countries Should Hold Abusers Accountable, Nairobi 4 Feb 2016. Accessed 15 December 2019. https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/02/04/central-african-republic-rape-peacekeepers.
Landguiden.Centralafrikanska republiken – Sociala förhållanden. Landguiden – Utrikespolitiska institutet. (2015) http://www.landguiden.se.ezproxy.its.uu.se/Lander/Afrika/CentralafrikanskaRepubliken/Sociala-Forhallanden. Accessed 7 December 2019.
MINUSCA action plan on sexual exploitation and abuse 2018 – 2019 matrix of activities. Accessed on 22 November 2019 https://minusca.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/minusca_sea_action_plan_matrix_of_activities_-_20180419_final.pdf
Report of an independent review on sexual exploitation and abuse by international peacekeeping forces in the Central African Republic: “Taking action on sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers” (A/71/99). 23 June 2016.
Reuters, “UN air operations disperse Central African Republic militia,” Reuters Online, 26 February, 2017, accessed 20 March 2017 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-centralafrica-violenceidUSKBN1650VW. Accessed on 20 December 2019.
UN, Central African Republic: meeting reported victim of sexual assault, UNICEF provides 'every possible help' (2015). Accessed on September 6, 2019 https://www.un.org/africarenewal/news/central-african-republic-meeting-reported-victim-sexual-assault-unicef-provides-every-possible
United Nations, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse. https://conduct.unmissions.org/sea-overview
Aids Free World, ‘The UN's dirty secret’, 29 May 2015, http://www.codebluecampaign.com/carstatement/
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Elijah Mwasi Mwanyika
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.