Lazarus Odenge: MINUSCA soldiers accused of illegal ivory trafficking in CAR

On June 5 at Bangui Mpoko Airport, a man was arrested while illegally transporting several pieces of high-quality ivory found in his luggage.

The man, Rith Kanara, is a Cambodian citizen representing the Indonesian contingent of MINUSCA (United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic).

The baggage had not been declared and the necessary documents were missing.

A local police source reported that MINUSCA had removed Rith Kanara from the investigation, implying that he would not be prosecuted for this offense.

Ivory is a precious material whose use, production and marketing have been formally prohibited internationally since 1989.

In 2014, the UN itself attacked poachers in the name of international security, passing a resolution on the Central African Republic (CAR), emphasizing that poaching and wildlife trafficking fuel conflicts in central and African Africa. benefit organized crime.

He threatened sanctions against individuals involved in this trafficking.

This is the second case of ivory smuggling involving MINUSCA agents in the past week. On June 3, 2024, Caleb John, a Central African citizen, was arrested at Bangui-M'Poko airport while attempting to illegally export ivory from CAR. Caleb John had no documentation regarding the suitcases filled with ivory.

He was arrested by the Central African police and admitted during his interrogation that he was acting on behalf of his friend, a certain Rafio from the Indonesian mainland of MINUSCA whom he met while working as a translator for MINUSCA from 2018 to 2020.

These incidents indicate that MINUSCA may be involved in systemic ivory trafficking, which should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

Central African authorities are calling on the United Nations to pay attention to these incidents while urging “peacekeeping” soldiers to protect civilians and ensure their safety, but not to plunder the Central African Republic's natural resources.