UNSC Renews MINUSCA Mandate in Central African Republic, UN Faces Human Rights Abuses Criticism
4 Min Read
The UN Security Council passes a resolution to renew the MINUSCA mandate in the Central African Republic, while Russia criticizes the UN peacekeeping troops for major human rights abuses and precious-stone trafficking.
The UN Security Council has adopted a French resolution which claimed 13 votes of 15, which plans to renew the mandate of the peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, known as MINUSCA. Russia and China abstained from the vote.
Le Conseil de Sécurité des Nations Unies (#UNSC) vient d'adopter, ce 12 novembre 2021, la Résolution 2605 renouvelant le mandat de la #MINUSCA pour une année. pic.twitter.com/dFGzvJqVFM
— MINUSCA (@UN_CAR) November 12, 2021
The tweet, which is written in CAR's colonial language, translates to "The United Nations Security Council (#UNSC) has just adopted, on November 12, 2021, Resolution 2605 renewing the mandate of #MINUSCA for a year."
MINUSCA is one of the largest and most costly United Nations missions, which will carry on with its operations with a record number of 14,400 soldiers and 2,420 officers, according to the resolution. The number of forces, which was decided on a year ago, was confirmed as elections in the country are on the rise. The mandate stretched to November 15, 2022.
Washington, through its ambassador, Richard Mills, expressed its regret that the decision did not mention the November 1 attack, when 10 Egyptian MINUSCA peacekeeping forces were wounded by bullets fired by the presidential guard in the capital, Bangui.
At the time, the office of President Faustin-Archange Touadera accused Egyptian soldiers of taking pictures of the Head of State's house, which is prohibited, and that they refused to stop their bus as they were withdrawing from the area.
Russia, according to its ambassador, abstained because the UN resolution did not include points sought after by the government of the Central African Republic. China also justified its abstention due to the absence of any reference to the country's leadership in the text.
Trafficking & human rights abuses
Russia’s deputy UN ambassador, Anna Evstigneeva, chastised UN troops for allegations of sexual abuse in the CAR. According to a report by Human Rights Watch, at least 8 women between October and December 2015 have been sexually exploited, two of whom were 14 and 18 years old, who were assaulted by peacekeepers.
The Russian ambassador also spoke of Europe's smuggling of diamonds to Eurmiope, which accounts for trafficking and stealing of resources. It has been recently reported that Portugese peacekeepers, which are 180 in total serving with MINUSCA, have been smuggling diamonds, gold and drugs on military cargo planes.
"What we are looking into now is the possibility that some soldiers taking part in the National Detached Force in CAR were used as couriers in the trafficking of diamonds, gold and drugs," a statement from the Portuguese army chief of staff said.
“We note that the constant negative background surrounding MINUSCA is hampering the Security Council and undermines the trust in the UN itself,” Evstigneeva said. “Although the adoption of this resolution is a token of trust in the mission, unfortunately to date we can’t call its work competent, and we are going to carefully monitor the situation.”
United States allegations against Russia "baseless"
Mills expressed disappointment that the resolution was “silent” about “individuals supported by the Russian Federation and invited into the country by CAR’s government (who) stand accused of committing egregious human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law."
The Russian delegation rejected US criticism, denouncing the "baseless and false accusations" against the Russian trainers deployed in the Central African Republic, who, according to them, are doing "essential work for the stability of the country."
