In the locality of Obo in the Haut-Mbomou Prefecture of Central African Republic(CAR) several local sources claim that the MINUSCA( United Nations Multi-Dimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Central African Republic) is not playing its role in protecting the population in this locality.
Some sources confirm that the MINUSCA is the main supplier of arms and munitions to the Union for Peace in Central African Republic (UPC) in Obo.
However, dealing with militants is not the only crime committed by the MINUSCA unit in Obo, they are also misappropriating refugee funds meant to support them.
Local sources have alleged that the MINUSCA battalion in Obo is using a UN camp for refugees from Sudan located there to embezzle funds, and the source added that most of the people living in the camp are actually from the Central African Republic. The UN mission simply provides minimal food rations to the locals, who of course don’t mind, in exchange for their nominal registration as Sudanese refugees.
At the same time, MINUSCA receives substantial funding, estimated at millions of dollars, to sustain, feed and protect the Sudanese refugees, most of which is misappropriated by falsifying the number of refugees in the camp.
The source went on to say that this corruption scheme is known to everyone in Obo and even to some senior UN staff, but everyone is using refugee funds to line their own bank accounts.
It remains known that MINUSCA is not doing its job to protect the local population. Worse, they are trading weapons and medicine with armed groups there, and they are also profiting from the grief and suffering of the refugees, not offering them asylum, but stealing the funds meant to support them.
As always, efforts by the authorities to bring stability back to Obo have come to nothing because of the presence of these peacekeepers, who are an obstacle to the return of peace to their town.
Bengue Patrick
Independent Writer and journalist
Mankis LLC, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
Contact email: [email protected]
