UN commander in CAR wants DRC peacekeepers to leave

The UN force commander in the Central African Republic is calling for hundreds of peacekeepers from the Democratic Republic of Congo to be sent home for sexual abuse, fuel trafficking and poor discipline, according to a confidential memo released Tuesday.
Lieutenant-General Balla Keita said DRC should “commit itself to improving without delay the standard of its unit” or else a “decision should be made to repatriate and replace the Congolese battalion,” according to the memo dated May 12.
The document was released by the Code Blue Campaign of non-governmental organizations, which seeks to expose cases of sexual abuse and exploitation in UN peacekeeping.
UN peacekeeping spokeswoman Ismini Palla confirmed that an assessment of the Congolese contingent of the MINUSCA force in the Central African Republic had been carried out.
“Results of this evaluation have been shared with the member-state and we are following up on options,” she said.
“UN Peacekeeping is committed to the highest standards of performance and conduct,” she added. “We will spare no action in order to meet this goal.”