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A UN expert called on authorities in the Central African Republic to thoroughly investigate the killing of 13 individuals whose bodies were found by UN peacekeepers north of the capital, Bangui, last week.

“I deplore the killing of these individuals, and call for justice to be served for the victims and their families,” said Yao Agbetse, UN Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic.

The 13 people were killed on 21 July in the vicinity of Bongboto village, 12 km from Bossangoa (Ouham Prefecture – Bossangoa Sub-Prefecture) on the Bossangoa-Nana-Bakassa axis, some 300 kilometres north of the capital.

The UN peacekeeping mission, MINUSCA, sent a joint patrol of UN Police (UNPOL) and MINUSCA Force to the Bossangoa-Nana-Bakassa axis and dispatched a joint mission composed of UNPOL and its Human Rights Section to investigate and establish the facts.

“I appeal to the Central African authorities to shed light on this alarming incident as soon as possible,” said Agbetse. “Impartial and diligent investigations must be carried out, the facts established, the perpetrators and all their accomplices must be identified.

“The CAR Government must keep on its promise – made in a statement issued the same day the bodies were found – to open a judicial investigation to identify the perpetrators of these heinous crimes and their accomplices and bring them to justice. The victims and their families deserve no less.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).