BANGUI, Central African Republic, March 1,  (AP): United Nations peacekeeping forces and Russian mercenaries are carrying out human rights violations in the Central African Republic, an independent investigator says. Yao Agbetse, a human rights lawyer and independent expert, said the UN is concerned about serious human rights violations in the region, which involve not only the Central African armed forces and their Russian allies in the Wagner Group, but also members of MINUSCA, the UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic.

"MINUSCA contingents are among the actors on the ground who sometimes commit violations. There have been reports of sexual abuse and exploitation by a number of contingents," Agbetse told a news conference Thursday in Bangui, the capital. He added: "Particularly where the Russian bilateral forces are concerned, there is consistent evidence of violations attributable to the Russians, and the authorities need to take steps to find appropriate solutions.”

Agbetse was speaking at the end of an official visit to the country to assess, monitor and compile a report on the human rights situation there. He will present his findings to the UN Human Rights Council in September. Florence Marchal, a spokesperson for the MINUSCA mission, which was set up in 2014, told The Associated Press on Friday that the UN was committed to rigorously investigating the allegations.

The UN mission "reaffirms that all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse are unacceptable, and that multi-faceted assistance to identified victims, while respecting their dignity, remains the mission’s priority,” she said. ”Every allegation received by MINUSCA is rigorously investigated, and when the facts are proven, exemplary sanctions are applied.” Attempts to contact Russian mercenaries in the Central African Republic by phone for comment were not successful.

Central African Republic remains one of the world’s poorest countries despite its vast mineral wealth, including gold and diamonds. Rebel groups have often operated with impunity, thwarting mining exploration by foreign companies. The country has been in conflict since 2013, when predominantly Muslim rebels seized power and forced then President François Bozizé from office.