United Nations – The UN Independent Expert on human rights situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) has cautioned
that country against putting in power individuals with record of human rights abuse.
The expert, Ms Marie-Thérèse Keita-Bocoum, gave the warning in Bangui during her sixth visit to CAR.
Keita-Bocoum said it was important that elected officials were men and women who truly represent the interest of the CAR with integrity and respect for human rights.
She urged the international community to support CAR’s newly elected President, Faustin Touadéra, and the government he would form.
The UN expert said Keita-Bocoum also shared some concerns from civil society which wanted greater protection for civilians, assistance for victims of sexual violence and of witchcraft accusations.
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said “all the actors of the civil society I met deplored the absence of the criminal justice system, the lack of access to justice and the lack of measures to protect victims and witnesses.”
CAR is emerging from nearly three years of fighting between the mainly Muslim Séléka and mainly Christian anti-Balaka groups.
The UN said it had played a major role in seeking to restore peace in the CAR.
This, the UN added, include military and police units from the 11,000-strong UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the country (MINUSCA).
The UN joined soldiers from the French Sangaris force and local security teams on Dec. 30, 2015 to ensure peaceful presidential vote.
Meanwhile, after nine months of improved stability in CAR, a new wave of inter-communal violence erupted in September 2015, killing at least 130 people, injuring 430 others, and triggering an 18 per cent increase in the number of internally displaced persons to 447,500.
However, Touadéra, who won the presidential run-off on Feb. 14, will be sworn in on march 25.
Independent experts or special rapporteurs are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a country situation or a specific human rights theme.
The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work. (NAN)