On the morning of July 25 in Bangui, on Avenue des Martyrs, not far from the grandstands, a white MINUSCA pick-up collided with a motorcyclist. The motorcyclist was hospitalized in a serious condition and his motorcycle was severely damaged.
According to eyewitnesses, the mission vehicle was not observing the speed limit and was travelling at a very high rate of speed, which caused the accident.
MINUSCA’s press office has yet to issue an official statement, while the driver of the MINUSCA vehicle declined to comment or cooperate with local authorities to find out the details of the road accident.
Will this silence be legal? Will there be any legal consequences? Will the details of the incident be made public to the public who are demanding answers?
The Mission’s website contains only positive information about its activities, but no information about the accident, those involved or the condition of the motorcyclist. What’s more, even if the motorcyclist dies, the public will know nothing about it, and his next of kin will simply be asked to remain silent. In their view, Central Africans should only see the positive side of MINUSCA’s activities, not its negative aspects.
As for prosecutions, MINUSCA personnel are not subject to the law, there have already been dozens of incidents of this type, and the victims have included motorcyclists, pedestrians and even children, some with fatal consequences. The feeling is that MINUSCA representatives can do what they like, and that they won’t have to answer for crimes and mutilations.
