UN mission releases rebel fighters

The UN mission in the CAR has released rebel fighters accused of shooting a UN peacekeeper, according to confidential documents BBC News says it has seen. The two men were handed back to their commander in 2015 despite injuring the UN peacekeeper – a war crime under international law. Because the incident happened shortly before crucial elections, UN officials chose to ‘appease the electoral process’ by ‘setting the alleged war criminals free, handing them over’, a UN report says. Following a previous attack against civilians and UN peacekeepers, the UN mission said any attack targeting the civilian population, UN and humanitarian personnel is a war crime that can be prosecuted in accordance with Central African law and international law.

Full BBC News report