Central African Republic Archives - UN Watch

Whistleblower quits UN human rights office, cites "complete impunity" over child rape by peacekeepers

unwatch — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 16:50:06 +0000

GENEVA, June 7, 2016 — UN Watch called on UN chief Ban Ki-moon to investigate the UN human rights office (OHCHR) in the wake of today’s announcement that its top whistleblower Anders Kompass—the director of field operations at OHCHR, who exposed the rape of children by peacekeepers—is to resign in protest over “what he sees as the organization’s failure to hold its senior officials to account,” as reported by IRIN.
“The complete impunity for those who have been found to have, in various degrees, abused their authority, together with the unwillingness of the hierarchy to express any regrets for the way they acted towards me sadly confirms that lack of accountability is entrenched in the United Nations,” Kompass told IRIN. “This makes it impossible for me to continue working there.”
UN Watch executive director Hillel Neuer said that Mr. Ban and also UN rights chief Zeid need to “fully apologize to Mr. Kompass, who is a hero for trying to protect abused children, in contrast to other UN officials, including at the highest levels, who did everything to protect both governments and their own careers.”
In its December 2015 report, an independent panel headed by former Canadian Supreme Court Justice Marie Deschamps found “gross institutional failure” by the UN, whose officials, despite Mr. Kompass’ warnings, refused to respond to allegations that peacekeepers sexually abused children in Central African Republic.
The study, commissioned by the UN, found that children as young as nine were encouraged to take part in sex in exchange for food or money in the middle of a war zone. The alleged perpetrators were mainly French soldiers from a unit known as the Sangaris force which was operating under authorization of the UN Security Council.
Kompass had been suspended for disclosing an internal report on abuse to French prosecutors. Yet the inquiry report, entitled “Taking Action on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by Peacekeepers,” exonerated him.
Initial complaints in early 2014, the report said, were “passed from desk to desk, inbox to inbox, across multiple UN offices, with no one willing to take responsibility.”

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Resignation of top UN rights official who failed to act on peacekeeper rape of children underscores need for accountability

unwatch — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 14:13:46 +0000

PRESS RELEASE
GENEVA, July 22, 2015 – The resignation of a top UN rights official who admitted she did nothing after receiving reports of child rape by French soldiers in Central African Republic — because she was distracted by budget cuts — “underscores the dire need for greater accountability at the world body,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, a non-governmental Geneva watchdog agency that measures the performance of the world body by the yardstick of its own charter.
“Not only did Deputy UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Flavia Pansieri fail to act,” said Neuer, “but she was part of a coterie of top UN officials who punished the only member of her office who sounded the alarm, veteran staffer Anders Kompass, by firing him.”
“The message heard loud and clear throughout the world body was that speaking out against the banality of bureaucratic complicity with evil will kill one’s career, that it’s better to stay silent.”
“Therefore, to the extent that Ms. Pansieri is in fact resigning over her office’s shameful inaction, indifference and cover-up concerning the rape of children by peacekeepers, then today marks a small step toward greater accountability for malfeasance by UN officials.”
“In this episode, as in many others throughout the UN, minimal levels of scrutiny and acceptance of responsibility is desperately required,” added Neuer.

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UN rights official who ignored African child rape by French troops resigns; UN Watch reacts

unwatch — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 12:38:55 +0000

GENEVA, July 22, 2015 – The resignation of a top UN rights official who admitted she did nothing after receiving reports of child rape by French soldiers in Central African Republic — because she was “distracted” by budget cuts — underscores the dire need for greater accountability at the world body, said Hillel Neuer, executive director of UN Watch, a non-governmental Geneva watchdog agency that measures the performance of the world body by the yardstick of its own charter.
“Not only did Deputy UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Flavia Pansieri fail to act,” said Neuer, “but she was part of a coterie of top UN officials who punished the only member of her office who sounded the alarm, veteran staffer Anders Kompass, by firing him.”
“The message heard loud and clear throughout the world body was that speaking out against the banality of bureaucratic complicity with evil will kill one’s career, that it’s better to stay silent.”
“Therefore, to the extent that Ms. Pansieri is in fact resigning over her office’s shameful inaction, indifference and cover-up concerning the rape of children by peacekeepers, then today marks a small step toward greater accountability for malfeasance by UN officials.”
“In this episode, as in many others throughout the UN, minimal levels of scrutiny and acceptance of responsibility are desperately required,” added Neuer.

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The Council should protect women and refugees in the Central African Republic

zadmin — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 12:59:31 +0000

UN Watch Statement
Human Rights Council, 28th Session
Item 10: ID with IE on the Central African Republic
24 March 2015

Delivered by Ms. Alyssa Scheiner

Thank you Mr. President.
UN Watch thanks the independent expert for her oral update on the human rights situation in the Central African Republic.
We are deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation, particularly concerning violence against women and access to health care in refugee camps.
Intercommunal conflict between former members of the Seleka and anti-Balaka militias plague the CAR. The fighting and increased violence have forced more than 190,000 people to flee their homes.
Both militias are responsible for using rape against women. Women’s rights are not enforced and there is no specific law criminalizing domestic abuse. The abuse of women in the CAR needs to end immediately.
Additionally, the alarming number of refugees and refugee camps pose a major problem in the CAR. No modern health care facilities exist outside of Bangui and the health of refugees are left to underfunded and understaffed NGOs. In the M’poko refugee camp located outside Bangui Airport, Medecins Sans Frontiers could only employ 33 doctors to treat 33,000 people. Because of the chaos, it is impossible for organizations to distribute necessary food or drugs to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS. These people do not have water, latrines, shelter, they have nothing, and no help is coming.
Aid has been minimal, and even that has been focused on the capital and not sufficiently on the outlying regions.
The responsibility of the international community is to assist all people of the Central African Republic in order for them to live safely with their basic needs met.
Madam Independent Expert,
We would like to ask; how do you envision empowering women to contribute to the stabilization of the country and to minimize the scourge of sexual violence? Second, how do you plan to increase support for international organizations to assist all people of the Central African Republic?
Thank you.

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Council must address deteriorating human rights situation in South Sudan and the Central African Republic

zadmin — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 08:08:33 +0000

UN Watch Statement

Item 10 GD

Delivered by Kelsey Truman

Thank you, Mr. President.

UN Watch is deeply concerned by the deteriorating human rights situation in South Sudan and the Central African Republic.

In regards to South Sudan, the report of the High Commissioner documents grave and alarming violations of human rights. These include mass executions, ethnic-based killings, murder, rape and other sexual violence.

The political struggle within the country has turned into an ethnic-based conflict. Hate speech and incitement in the media are encouraging the rape of women from different ethnic groups, the killing of civilians in hospitals, churches, mosques, and even in UN shelters.

On the 15th of April, hundreds of civilians were killed in mosques, hospitals, and markets. On the 16th of December 2013, a group of 300 Nuer men were slaughtered in a government building in Juba.

Nevertheless, political leaders have not yet publicly called for an end to such violence perpetrated by their supporters.

The conflict in South Sudan has already resulted in the loss of thousands of innocent lives and the destruction of major towns. More than one million people have been displaced or are seeking refuge abroad. The attacks continue to this day.

We are equally concerned with the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic. According to the BBC, the killings have caused a quarter of the country’s civilians to flee their homes, seeking to hide in the fields or in the bush. Seventy percent of the children no longer go to school and many are recruited as soldiers by the rebels.

Mr. President, UN Watch urges this Council to take immediate, concrete and effective action to protect millions of people in South Sudan and the Central African Republic, whose lives are on the line.

Thank you, Mr. President.

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Help the Victims in the Central African Republic

zadmin — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 13:42:19 +0000

Help the Victims in the Central African Republic

UN Watch testimony to 20th special session of the UNHRC,
delivered by Hillel Neuer, 20 January 2014

Merci, Monsieur le Président.On behalf of United Nations Watch, I wish to congratulate you upon your election as President, and to extend our blessings for a successful year ahead in promoting and protecting human rights.Victims in the Central African Republic require this Council’s attention. Just yesterday, members of the ICRC buried 50 bodies. Much of the population is in danger of reprisals, with no one to protect them. Many have fled their homes and are hiding in the bush.
Mr. President, we need to make sure that the authorities and international armed forces present in the country take immediate action to end the intercommunal violence.
Nearly 1 million people have been displaced by the fighting. Widespread human rights violations including extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, mutilations and rape have been reported by the UN.
John Ging, director of operations at the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs, has just returned from the Central African Republic. He is warning of genocide.
He said: “It has all the elements that we have seen elsewhere, in places like Rwanda and Bosnia. The elements are there, the seeds are there, for a genocide. There’s no question about that.”
Mr. President: He said a genocide may be avoided by a massive scaling up in the international response to the crisis.
And so, today, we call upon the international community to do all it can to provide humanitarian aid, to those in Central African Republic and to all of those who were forced to flee.
Cameroon, for example, now has 52,000 refugees, and has also repatriated 5,000 of its own citizens who are facing danger. Donor agencies including the World Food Program and the Cameroon Red Cross say they do not have the supplies to meet the increasing humanitarian needs.
Mr. President, on this day, UN Watch urges all stakeholders to contribute urgently and generously to help those in desperate need in the Central African Republic.
Merci, Monsieur le Président.

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