UNITED NATIONS, June 9 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations announced on Friday that a unit of 60 Tanzanian military personnel deployed in the Central African Republic is to be repatriated, following serious allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse against these peacekeepers.
They were deployed at a temporary operating base in the western part of the Central African Republic, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.
The decision to send the unit home was made by the UN Secretariat in New York, following consultations with MINUSCA, the UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, 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," said the spokesman.
The Tanzanian authorities have been formally notified and have deployed national investigation officers to the Central African Republic, Dujarric said.
"The United Nations remains committed to robustly implementing the secretary-general's vision zero tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse," the spokesman said. ■
