The UN has announced that in the wake of serious accusations of sexual exploitation and abuse, an entire unit of 60 Tanzanian peacekeepers formerly based in the western Central African Republic (CAR) is to be repatriated.
The decision to send the unit home was made by the UN Secretariat in New York following consultations with the peacekeeping mission, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
"The decision comes after a preliminary investigation which found credible evidence that 11 members of the unit had allegedly engaged in sexual exploitation and abuse of four victims," the statement noted.
Tanzanian authorities were notified of the soldiers' crimes and deployed national investigation officers to Central Africa, according to the UN.
"In reaffirming their commitment to zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, the Tanzanian authorities noted the seriousness of the allegations and have committed to taking the necessary action to address these matters," the statement added.
MINUSCA stressed that the United Nations remains "committed to robustly implementing the secretary general’s zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse."
The mission added that victims of abuse received immediate help and support based on their medical, psychological, and protection needs.
Since 2015, 254 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse have been made against members of the mission, according to the UN website.