United Nations' CAR envoy resigns amid peacekeeper abuse claims

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 12 (UPI) -- Babacar Gaye, United Nations' envoy to the Central African Republic, resigned Wednesday over allegations of peacekeepers' sexual abuse of children.

Amnesty International revealed Tuesday a girl, 12, was raped by a U.N. peacekeeper in the Central African Republic. It was the latest in a series of allegations that the French force deployed to the country to restore order, engaged in numerous examples of child sex abuse, and that the United Nations is involved in a cover-up. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon authorized an independent review panel of the matter in June.

The 10,000-member peacekeeping took over for a smaller African Union force to help end ethnic and religious violence following a 2013 overthrow of the government by Muslim rebels.

It is believed Ban demanded Gaye's resignation. Gaye is a general in Senegal's army.

Speaking Wednesday at the United Nations, Ban commented, "I believe the disturbing number of allegations we have seen in many countries -- but particularly in the Central African Republic in the period before U.N. peacekeepers were deployed and since -- speaks to the need to take action now. Enough is enough."