UN Envoy Accuses Russian Mercenaries Of Human Rights Abuses In C.A.R.
RFE
24 Jun 2021, 06:15 GMT+10
The UN envoy to the Central African Republic (C.A.R.), as well as diplomats from the United States and France, has accused the national security forces and their Russian paramilitary allies of wide-ranging human rights abuses.
Russia helps President Faustin Archange Touadera combat rebel groups in the resource-rich country's ongoing civil war, including fielding Russian mercenaries and security details for government figures.
Moscow says it has only sent unarmed 'instructors' to train the C.A.R. Defense Ministry.
Envoy Mankeur Ndiaye
told the UN Security Council that human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law were 'attributable to the Central African armed forces, bilateral forces, and other security personnel,' referring to the hundreds of Russian paramilitaries deployed in the country.