A/HRC/45/55 B. Violations attributed to armed groups 36. Most of the national territory remains under the influence of armed groups, including armed groups that are signatories to the Peace Agreement. Despite their commitments under the Agreement, these groups have committed multiple violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. According to statistics from the Human Rights Division of MINUSCA, over the period from July 2019 to June 2020, armed groups that are signatories to the Agreement were allegedly responsible for 715 incidents involving 1,302 victims – that is to say, 81.2 per cent of the total number of incidents and 85.5 per cent of the total number of victims. 37. Based on the information received, the Independent Expert notes with concern an increase in the number of violations committed since the beginning of the year. Between January and June 2020, 345 violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, involving at least 503 victims, took place, compared to 243 such violations between January and June 2019, and to 101 between July and December 2019. At least 80 per cent of these violations and abuses are attributable to armed groups that are signatories to the Peace Agreement. The groups in question are the anti-balaka, the Front populaire pour la renaissance de la Centrafrique, the Union pour la paix en Centrafrique, the Mouvement patriotique pour la Centrafrique, Révolution et justice, Retour, réclamation et réhabilitation, the Mouvement des libérateurs centrafricains pour la justice and affiliated armed groups. 38. The violations documented by the Human Rights Division of MINUSCA include killings, death threats, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, injuries, conflict-related sexual violence, abductions, recruitment and use of children in armed forces and armed groups, arbitrary deprivation of liberty, attacks on hospitals and humanitarian and United Nations personnel, confiscation of property, looting and destruction of property, and illegal taxation. The prefectures most affected by human rights abuses and violations were those of Ouaka, Haute-Kotto, Bamingui-Bangoran, Ouham-Pendé and Ouham. C. Abuses and violations attributed to State officials 39. State officials, including members of the Armed Forces of the Central African Republic, the police and the gendarmerie are allegedly responsible for 83 human rights violations involving 103 victims – that is to say, 9.4 per cent of the total number of documented violations and 6.7 per cent of the total number of victims. 40. By way of example, according to the information received by the Independent Expert, on 14 January 2020, during a joint patrol in Bayanga-Bode, two boys aged between 13 and 15 years were seen occupying a police barrier near Baoro, on the road to Bossemptélé (Nana-Mambéré prefecture). The Human Rights Division of MINUSCA met with the brigade commander and the sub-prefect of Baoro to ask them to raise awareness among members of the internal security forces of the need to stop using children at checkpoints, as this constitutes a serious violation of children’s rights. 41. On 3 January 2020, in the village of Bédogo-1, which is located 60 kilometres north of Paoua, in the Ouham-Pendé prefecture, two soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Central African Republic attacked two foreign shepherds and confiscated 90 cattle and 165,000 CFA francs belonging to them. 42. The Independent Expert was informed that, on 17 March 2020, in Bria, the Human Rights Division of MINUSCA had interviewed a 20-year-old woman who was five months pregnant and living in the PK3 camp for internally displaced persons, who claimed that, at around 6 p.m. on 5 February 2020 in Galabadja district, she had been surprised in the shower by an unidentified member of the Armed Forces of the Central African Republic who raped her. 43. State officials, including members of the Armed Forces of the Central African Republic and the internal security forces, continue to commit human rights violations such as arbitrary detention, torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and illegal taxation. According to the highest authorities, respect for rights is improving as training for defence 8 GE.20-10998