In
CAR,
Violations
Excused,
Child
Soldiers
Pulled Back
from UN
Skeleton Staff
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
January 25 --
Despite the
announced
ceasefire in
the Central
African
Republic
between the
Seleka rebels
and the Bozize
government,
rebels have
taken over two
more towns, UN
envoy Margaret
Vogt
confirmed to
Inner City
Press on
January 24:
Kembe and
Dimbi.
Painting
a
perhaps
unrealistically
positive
picture of the
situation in
CAR
and the UN's
work there,
Vogt said that
these
ceasefire
violations
would be
addressed by a
"sensitization
mission" that
was
heading to the
area, with
outside
funding.
Inner
City Press
also asked
about child
soldiers,
including
combattants'
child brides,
whom the UN
had arranged
to demobilize
but were then
pulled back by
the CPJP
rebels.
Vogt
acknowledged
that this had
happened, and
said the CPJP
claimed that
"the
procedures
were
not followed"
for
demobilization.
Vogt
said the
issue, and
presumably the
children,
would be
followed up
on.
She said that
at least until
January 27 the
UN in CAR is
operating
with a
"skeleton
staff."
She mentioned
involvement of
rebels from
Sudan and
Chad, but did
not provide
any estimate
of the
percentage,
said to be
high. Why is
this alleged
to be a
problem in
Eastern Congo,
but accepted
without
similar
scrunity in
CAR?
Inner
City Press is
told by
European Union
sources that
there is no
movement and
nothing to say
for now about
the EU's bid
to head the UN
Peacebuilding
configuration
for CAR.
French
Ambassador
Gerard Araud
on camera told
Inner City
Press that the
EU is not a
candidate for
the post. But
other EU
sources say
different.
Watch this
site.
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