French president vows 'no mercy' if troops found guilty

French leader Francois Hollande yesterday vowed to "show no mercy" if peacekeeping troops in the Central African Republic accused of raping starving children in exchange for food were found guilty.

The defence ministry denied attempting to cover up the potentially devastating scandal following revelations it was made aware of the allegations in July last year when it received a leaked report compiled by UN officials stationed in the chaos-ridden African country.

According to the report, at least six children -- the youngest just eight -- alleged that French soldiers dispatched to the impoverished nation to restore order after a 2013 coup had sexually abused them in exchange for food, and in some cases under threat.

"If some soldiers have behaved badly, I will show no mercy," Hollande told reporters.

The abuse reportedly took place at a centre for displaced people near the airport of the Central African capital Bangui between December 2013 and June 2014.

The defence ministry said it immediately launched a probe into the case, sending police investigators to the former French colony on August 1 after receiving the news.

According to The Guardian, the UN employee accused of the leak, Swedish national Anders Kompass, turned the report over to French authorities because his bosses had failed to take action.

He has been suspended and faces dismissal for breaching protocol, the paper said.

The report allegedly details interviews with several children, aged eight to 15, who approached French soldiers to ask for food.

"The children were saying that they were hungry and they thought that they could get some food from the soldiers. The answer was 'if you do this, then I will give you food'," said Paula Donovan, co-director of advocacy group AIDS-Free World that saw the report and gave it to The Guardian.