Almost 100 girls in the Central African Republic have said they were sexually abused by international peacekeepers, with three claiming they were tied up and forced to have sex with a dog by a French military commander in 2014.
The United Nations has announced an urgent investigation into allegations of rape and assault, saying reports dated back three years.
A delegation from its “Minusca” mission aiming to stabilise the war-torn country interviewed victims on Saturday, uncovering horrific claims against UN and local forces, as well as troops sent by France.
The results of the investigation have not yet been made public but the Aids-Free World campaign group said sources had passed it details.
A spokesperson said three girls reported that they and a fourth victim, who has since died of an unknown illness, were tied up and undressed at a military camp by a commander from the French “Sangaris” force.
They said they were then forced to have sex with a dog before being given 5,000 Central African Francs (£6) each.
One of the victims said she was called “the Sangaris’ dog” by people in the community after the attack.
The three surviving girls had sought basic medical treatment, Aids-Free World said.
It is far from the only report of abuse in CAR, where peacekeepers have been accused of raping girls as young as 12.
A report leaked last year included claims that French troops forced refugee children fleeing violence to perform sex acts for food.
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