(New York Times) – The United Nations is investigating two new suspected cases of sexual abuse committed by peacekeepers in the Central African Republic, one involving the possible rape of a 14-year-old girl by Burundian soldiers, a spokesman for Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Monday. The spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, told reporters at a daily briefing that the peacekeeping mission in the country had received the allegations on Friday. The other case, he said, involved a Moroccan peacekeeper’s relationship with a woman. None of the suspects were identified. The Central African Republic, one of the world’s most dysfunctional countries, has become an epicenter of sexual abuse allegations against United Nations peacekeepers, an issue that has tarnished their image as protectors of the helpless. The latest allegations came to light two weeks after the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution endorsing toughened discipline proposed by Mr. Ban against violators, including repatriation of entire contingents implicated in systematic abuse.
