Central African Republic says wounded UN peacekeepers were in prohibited area

By Aurore Bonny

DOUALA, Cameroon (AA) – The 10 Egyptian UN peacekeepers wounded Tuesday by the Central African Republic's presidential guard were taking pictures in a prohibited area of the presidency, the government said on Wednesday.

Government spokesman Serge Ghislain Djorie said three vehicles of the UN mission known as MINUSCA were returning to their base near the presidential residence in Bangui.

"One of the buses apparently got lost. The driver, who did not seem to know the way, found himself in the last prohibited perimeter," the statement further said.

The bus travelers were "taking pictures of the residence" for unknown purposes, Djorie said.

He explained that the presidential guard stopped the driver but he refused to comply and fled.

In his "frantic race," Djorie said, "he fatally hit a young girl, dragging her for more than twenty meters (65 feet).”

The presidential guard saw the girl under the bus and "would have fired warning shots in the air as well as into the tires of the vehicle to stop it but in vain," the spokesman stated.

"Unfortunately, the shooting caused injuries."

The UN mission said Tuesday that the shooting was "without prior warning or any kind of response" against the "unarmed" peacekeepers.

It condemned "what appeared to be a deliberate and unspeakable attack that nothing justifies."

On Wednesday, the UN body said it would "conduct its own investigations" while the government "firmly" demanded a joint probe.

Monday's incident will not "discourage or prevent the UN police from pursuing their mandate to protect civilians" and support the security forces in the Central African Republic, mission's spokeswoman Agba Mazalo said.

"The perpetrators of this criminal attack against peacekeepers must be immediately arrested," Mankeur Ndiaye, UN chief's representative in the Central African Republic, said on Twitter on Wednesday.

This incident comes days before the expected renewal of the MINUSCA mandate, which has been deployed since 2014 in the country plagued by socio-political and security crises.

A report by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres released Oct. 12 marked violations of the status of forces agreement between the UN and the government, involving national defense forces and security personnel.

Guterres also cited road harassment by national defense forces, pre-trial detentions by internal security forces and coordinated disinformation campaigns on social media, mostly from pro-power party platforms and individuals, targeting the UN and MINUSCA.