UN campaigns to stop sex assaults by DR Congo peacekeepers
MINUSCA promises full investigation into allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by its forces in CAR
PHOTO: AFP
KINSHASA:
The UN mission in the DR Congo launched a graphic campaign Monday aimed at preventing sexual abuse by its peacekeepers following a child rape scandal in the neighbouring Central African Republic.
The words "Sex with children is a crime" were splashed across images released for the campaign by MONUSCO, one of the world's largest peacekeeping missions.
The campaign comes after UN chief Ban Ki-moon sacked his Central African Republic mission chief after a string of allegations of child sex abuse by peacekeepers there.
The mission in the DR Congo has also been tainted by similar scandals.
In 2005, the UN banned peacekeepers from having relations with Congolese residents after allegations emerged that soldiers had sexually abused 13-year-old girls.
One campaign photo issued by MONUSCO shows a young African girl on a bed, hands over her face, with a UN blue helmet and uniform on the floor next to her.
"She could be your daughter. No sex with children!" says the accompanying text.
Another photo shows the shirtless back of a UN soldier, behind bars, with a bold red banner reading "Sex with children is a crime".
A MONUSCO source told AFP that the campaign was "planned well before" the scandal that led to Wednesday's sacking of the UN mission chief in the Central African Republic Babacar Gaye.
The MINUSCA force in the troubled country, which took over from an African Union mission nearly a year ago, has been plagued by a series of scandals involving its soldiers.
So far, there have been 57 claims of misconduct, 11 of which possibly involve chid sex abuse.
The latest allegations revealed by Amnesty International involve a 12-year-old girl who told witnesses she was raped by a UN soldier during a search operation in Bangui this month.
"When I cried, he slapped me hard and put his hand over my mouth," she told Amnesty.
The United States said last week it was "profoundly shocked" by the claims of abuse, calling for the perpetrators to be punished and warning that the allegations undermine the credibility of UN peacekeeping missions.
The DRC campaign photos, which have been issued on the MONUSCO website as well as social media, have already prompted reactions on Facebook.
"The new campaign against sexual violence is welcome, but it's a shame that it was needed, because the UN is supposed to protect, and not attack," said one comment by Facebook user Dali Mbala.
The peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo -- which has been riven by conflict for about two decades mainly in the east -- counts about 20,000 uniformed personnel.
MINUSCA promises full investigation into sex scandal
The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) said on Monday that it was determined to investigate fully all allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by its forces in the country and to hold to account perpetrators of such acts.
During the regular press briefing at UN Headquarters in New York, spokesperson Vannina Maestracci said, “investigations into recent allegations of sexual assault on a minor and killings by UN forces in Bangui are ongoing.”
Information gathered by the Human Rights and Child Protection sections and the MINUSCA police have been submitted to the UN internal oversight body (OIOS), which is mandated to investigate cases of alleged misconduct by UN forces, identify perpetrators and ensure accountability for victims. However, given that such forces are provided by contributing countries, any punishment handed out by the UN body will only be passed on to the respective troop-contributing country to implement, raising doubts on eventual punishment and or accountability of abusers.
“The investigation is complicated by the numerous nationalities of police and military personnel involved in the operations launched in the ‘PK5’ area of (the capital) Bangui on August 2 and 3,” she continued. “MINUSCA will not publish preliminary findings that may be prejudicial to the ongoing investigation.”
Adopting a position of transparency if its forces commit abuses, MINUSCA’s stance has been that its’ peacekeepers will be held to the same high standards which are expected of others.
Issuing its own statement, MINUSCA declared: “All allegations of misconduct by United Nations staff in the Central African Republic (CAR) are taken extremely seriously, and are the subject of thorough investigation.”
MINUSCA stressed that it will work with troop contributing countries to ensure that any of its uniformed personnel found to be responsible for human rights violations in CAR, including sexual exploitation and abuse, are held to account.
In July, six peacekeepers were repatriated for excessive use of force against detainees.
Maestracci elaborated that the mission was determined to punish any acts of misconduct, including sexual violence by its personnel – hence the importance of protecting the integrity of the investigations and the confidentiality of victims and witnesses.
“MINUSCA…reiterates its utter determination to enforce the Secretary-General's zero tolerance policy against sexual exploitation or abuse by its personnel,” Maestracci concluded.
The UN mission in the DR Congo launched a graphic campaign Monday aimed at preventing sexual abuse by its peacekeepers following a child rape scandal in the neighbouring Central African Republic.
The words "Sex with children is a crime" were splashed across images released for the campaign by MONUSCO, one of the world's largest peacekeeping missions.
The campaign comes after UN chief Ban Ki-moon sacked his Central African Republic mission chief after a string of allegations of child sex abuse by peacekeepers there.
The mission in the DR Congo has also been tainted by similar scandals.
In 2005, the UN banned peacekeepers from having relations with Congolese residents after allegations emerged that soldiers had sexually abused 13-year-old girls.
One campaign photo issued by MONUSCO shows a young African girl on a bed, hands over her face, with a UN blue helmet and uniform on the floor next to her.
"She could be your daughter. No sex with children!" says the accompanying text.
Another photo shows the shirtless back of a UN soldier, behind bars, with a bold red banner reading "Sex with children is a crime".
A MONUSCO source told AFP that the campaign was "planned well before" the scandal that led to Wednesday's sacking of the UN mission chief in the Central African Republic Babacar Gaye.
The MINUSCA force in the troubled country, which took over from an African Union mission nearly a year ago, has been plagued by a series of scandals involving its soldiers.
So far, there have been 57 claims of misconduct, 11 of which possibly involve chid sex abuse.
The latest allegations revealed by Amnesty International involve a 12-year-old girl who told witnesses she was raped by a UN soldier during a search operation in Bangui this month.
"When I cried, he slapped me hard and put his hand over my mouth," she told Amnesty.
The United States said last week it was "profoundly shocked" by the claims of abuse, calling for the perpetrators to be punished and warning that the allegations undermine the credibility of UN peacekeeping missions.
The DRC campaign photos, which have been issued on the MONUSCO website as well as social media, have already prompted reactions on Facebook.
"The new campaign against sexual violence is welcome, but it's a shame that it was needed, because the UN is supposed to protect, and not attack," said one comment by Facebook user Dali Mbala.
The peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo -- which has been riven by conflict for about two decades mainly in the east -- counts about 20,000 uniformed personnel.
MINUSCA promises full investigation into sex scandal
The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) said on Monday that it was determined to investigate fully all allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by its forces in the country and to hold to account perpetrators of such acts.
During the regular press briefing at UN Headquarters in New York, spokesperson Vannina Maestracci said, “investigations into recent allegations of sexual assault on a minor and killings by UN forces in Bangui are ongoing.”
Information gathered by the Human Rights and Child Protection sections and the MINUSCA police have been submitted to the UN internal oversight body (OIOS), which is mandated to investigate cases of alleged misconduct by UN forces, identify perpetrators and ensure accountability for victims. However, given that such forces are provided by contributing countries, any punishment handed out by the UN body will only be passed on to the respective troop-contributing country to implement, raising doubts on eventual punishment and or accountability of abusers.
“The investigation is complicated by the numerous nationalities of police and military personnel involved in the operations launched in the ‘PK5’ area of (the capital) Bangui on August 2 and 3,” she continued. “MINUSCA will not publish preliminary findings that may be prejudicial to the ongoing investigation.”
Adopting a position of transparency if its forces commit abuses, MINUSCA’s stance has been that its’ peacekeepers will be held to the same high standards which are expected of others.
Issuing its own statement, MINUSCA declared: “All allegations of misconduct by United Nations staff in the Central African Republic (CAR) are taken extremely seriously, and are the subject of thorough investigation.”
MINUSCA stressed that it will work with troop contributing countries to ensure that any of its uniformed personnel found to be responsible for human rights violations in CAR, including sexual exploitation and abuse, are held to account.
In July, six peacekeepers were repatriated for excessive use of force against detainees.
Maestracci elaborated that the mission was determined to punish any acts of misconduct, including sexual violence by its personnel – hence the importance of protecting the integrity of the investigations and the confidentiality of victims and witnesses.
“MINUSCA…reiterates its utter determination to enforce the Secretary-General's zero tolerance policy against sexual exploitation or abuse by its personnel,” Maestracci concluded.