RESIDENTS of a squalid refugee camp in the Central African Republic confirmed on Thursday that French soldiers tasked with protecting civilians had sexually abused boys as young as nine.

Accounts by one of the boys’ mother and another woman living in the camp came to light a day after France acknowledged that investigations into the allegations had been going on for months.

The French government has not explained why the probe was kept quiet but promised tough punishment for any soldier found guilty.

Details also emerged on Thursday of similar accusations of child sodomy against soldiers from Chad and Equatorial Guinea.

Paula Donovan, whose Aids-Free World group has been looking into abuse by peacekeepers, said that a UN internal report cited 16 soldiers.

The children concerned had also accused soldiers from Chad and Equatorial Guinea, Ms Donovan said.

French military officials have refused to say whether the soldiers have been identified.