EU Offers Aid to UN in Inquiry Into Alleged Peacekeepers' Sex Abuses in CAR

The European Union proposed to assist the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in investigating sexual abuses of children in the Central African Republic (CAR) committed with an alleged participation of EU peacekeepers, the European External Action Service (EEAS) said in a statement on Friday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Hussein condemned allegations of sexual abuses of children in the CAR, which have been allegedly conducted by the soldiers of UN-mandated EU military operation in the CAR (EUFOR RCA) from the contingents of France, Georgia and one other unnamed country.

"EEAS headquarters immediately offered assistance to the UN High Commissioner and his team, as well as to the States potentially concerned, to cooperate on the follow-up of these alleged wrongdoings," the statement said.

The statement added that the EU authorities had sent an expert to discuss "cooperation modalities" in the proceedings with the Office of the High Commissioner.

The United Nations voted to deploy a peacekeeping mission in the CAR in light of the escalating conflict between the largely Muslim Seleka rebels and government forces in April 2014. Currently, some 10,000 people maintain peace in the country.