Central African Republic: Officials and military targets of abuses by Russian paramilitaries says UN expert
Central African Armed Forces (Faca) soldiers seen during the military parade organized to celebrate the 64th anniversary of the independence of the Central African Republic, in Bangui, on December 1, 2022 [illustration image].
AFP - BARBARA STANDING
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
The Togolese Yao Agbetse, independent expert of the United Nations (UN) on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic (CAR), considers at the end of a ten-day mission in the CAR "assaults (
have been) committed by the Russian bilateral forces on the agents of public authority at the local level
”.
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The United Nations independent expert on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic accuses the Russian paramilitaries present in the country of abuses against the population, but also against Central African officials and soldiers "subjected to acts of torture
and to ill-treatment
,” according to his end-of-mission statement.
Togolese Yao Agbetse has just spent ten days in the country.
It recounts allegations of kidnappings, sequestrations and summary executions of civilians, in particular in the prefecture of Mambéré-Kadéï, in the west of the country.
Abuses that also affect authorities or "dressed" bodies.
► To read also: Central African Republic: a survey details the progress of the Wagner group in the country
"
What I have also noticed is that there are also assaults committed by the Russian bilateral forces on the holders of public authority at the local level, whether they are mayors, prefects, even members of the Central African Armed Forces (Faca),
he explains at the microphone of
François Mazet
.
And that, too, is not likely to allow frank and authentic collaboration, because the bilateral forces are supposed to come in support of the Faca.
And when they commit this kind of act, abuse, I think it's unacceptable.
And that, too, must stop
."
Yao Agbetse continues on this physical violence attributed to the Russians: “
There are testimonies which are consistent, several testimonies which report on the abuses committed by the Russian bilateral forces on the prefects, the mayors, the sub-prefects, the police commissioners , the commissioners of the gendarmerie, but also the Faca.
These are facts that are cross-checked and that, in the end, turned out to be correct, in fact.
»
Finally, the UN independent expert also deplores the obstacles posed by the Russian paramilitaries to the mission of the Minusca with the national army, in particular to prevent it from using its means of air support.
More generally, he is concerned about the continued increase in human rights violations in 2022. Over the last quarter, 483 attacks and 1,300 civilian victims have been recorded by Minusca.
Armed groups were responsible for 42% of recorded violations, compared to 58% for Faca and bilateral forces.
Incidents have increased in particular at the barriers erected on the roads.
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