The UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) announced on Wednesday that it had taken “strong measures” against peacekeepers suspected of “serious misconduct”. According to internal MONUSCO documents consulted by AFP, eight peacekeepers deployed in Beni, in the east of the DRC, were arrested on October 1 and one officer suspended on the 8, as part of a case of alleged sexual exploitation and violence.
All belong to the South African contingent of the UN force and may be involved in what internal reports describe as a “systematic and widespread violation” of UN rules against sexual exploitation and abuse.
“Bothels” named after South African cities
“The office of internal control services has been contacted and precautionary measures have already been taken in accordance with the zero tolerance policy of the Secretary General of the United Nations,” MONUSCO said Wednesday evening in a press release. The measures taken “include the suspension, detention and confinement of the peacekeepers concerned,” adds MONUSCO, which says it “strongly condemns such behavior which is not worthy of United Nations personnel.”
“Soweto, Bloemfontein, Cape Town”, “brothels” with evocative names of South African towns and “makeshift bars that appeared in front of the Monusco base in Mavivi”, near Beni, “are used for transactional sex”, can – we read in one of the documents. The officer targeted would have, according to a preliminary report, “intimidated and verbally threatened” members of the UN, after the arrest of peacekeepers for a case of frequenting brothels, with the result of an attempt to escape, a fight and chase with elements of the UN military police.
The DRC government is calling for an “accelerated” departure from next December of the UN force, which it accuses, after 25 years of presence, of not having succeeded in putting an end to the violence of armed groups.