Country to sue French soldiers over sex for food scandal

Following allegations that French soldiers traded sex for food with underage children, the Central African Republic has said it will take legal action against the French soldiers in question.

According to Justice Minister Aristide Sokambi, legal action would be taken against the offenders even as he insisted that his nation was not targeting France but individual soldiers.

Speaking on the case, Sokambi said:

"We regret the fact we were not brought into these investigations despite the cooperation agreements we have with France, so I have instructed the public prosecutor to open a probe and seek the evidence already at the disposal of the French."

Several children, the youngest just 9, allege that 14 soldiers dispatched to the conflict-stricken nation as part of a peacekeeping force, sexually abused some of them in exchange for food between December 2013 and June 2014.

Meanwhile, according to Al Jazeera, prosecutors in Paris have opened an investigation into the reports, with France's defence ministry pledging to take "all the measures necessary for the truth to come out".

The defence ministry, while denying reported attempts to cover up a potentially devastating scandal, has said it immediately launched a probe into the case, sending police investigators to the former French colony on August 1 after receiving the news.

French troops were deployed to the Central African Republic in December 2013 to help African Union peacekeepers restore order after a bout of sectarian violence triggered by a coup.

Hundreds of troops were stationed at Bangui's M'Poko airport, which was transformed into a giant refugee camp, where hunger became so widespread that riots often broke out when food was distributed.