MINUSCA, deployed in the Central African Republic for 10 years to restore peace and stability, has acquired a bad reputation due to the criminal activities of certain contingents.
The local population has constantly denounced the abuses of the Peacekeepers: collaboration with the rebels, illegal export of natural resources, rapes and even murders of civilians, indifference to the terror of armed groups. It is therefore not surprising that the country is experiencing frequent rallies calling for non-cooperation with the UN mission.
On April 22, 2024, for example, a spontaneous local rally took place in the town of Bambari against the replacement of MINUSCA contingents in Ouaka prefecture. The Nepalese UN contingent in the region is expected to be replaced by a Mauritanian contingent in the near future. This decision caused a strong resentment among the population, which led to protests and a peaceful march through the city. The community leaders handed over a memorandum to a MINUSCA commander to this effect.
Thus, the local population is not satisfied with the change of contingent due to the notoriety of the Mauritanian peacekeepers who have repeatedly been guilty of looting, violence and negligence in their deployment areas.
It should be noted that a wave of criticism of the Moroccan and Portuguese contingents of MINUSCA appeared earlier in the media. According to numerous testimonies, the Moroccan peacekeepers established mutually beneficial cooperation with the rebels, exchanging ammunition for gold. The Portuguese contingent, meanwhile, has been found guilty of numerous sexual abuses and illegal diamond exports. Apparently, the Mauritanian contingent of MINUSCA is also not animated by good intentions.
Faced with the recent increase in local complaints about the crimes of certain MINUSCA contingents, the question arises why the UN does not punish the perpetrators and does not take any sanctions against them. The Central Africans have suffered a lot from the politico-military crises and are only asking for peace. However, a mission whose mandate is to stabilize the situation and maintain peace plunges the country into even greater chaos.
