U.N. accuses force of sex abuse
Sexual abuse of girls in Congo continues
From CNN's Jonathan Wald
January 8, 2005
UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- U.N. peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo exchanged eggs, bread and a few dollars for sex with girls they were meant to protect, the United Nations watchdog agency has said.
Soldiers would regularly have sex with girls as young as 13 in rundown shelters, in the bush near the military camps and on the bare ground behind buildings usually just after dark, a report from the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight (OIOS) said Friday.
Many of the girls were raped and had lost their families in a recent civil war, the report said. Forced to support themselves, they were desperate for food and money.
A lot of the girls were traumatized by war as well as abuse, said Barbara Dixon of OIOS, who worked on the report.
What they knew was, if they wanted to eat, this was a way to do it.
One 14-year-old girl would receive $1 or $2 or two eggs each time she had sex with a particular U.N. peacekeeper, while another collected $3 and a packet of milk after she had sex with a soldier.
Boys between the age of eight and 18 would act as pimps to the peacekeepers by bringing them girls, often in exchange for paltry amounts of food or money.
The problem of sexual exploitation and abuse was serious and ongoing and the lack of a protection and deterrence program was equally disturbing, the report concluded.
We are shocked by it, we're outraged, we're sickened by it, said William Lacy Smith, the Secretary-General's Special Representative to Congo said.
Peacekeepers who have been sworn to assist those in need, particularly those who have been victims of sexual violence, instead have caused grievous harm - it's inexcusable behavior, we're determined to stamp it out.
The investigation into most of the accused soldiers was short-lived due to a lack of evidence, while some had already left Congo by the time they were under investigation.
From 72 allegations of abuse by military and civilian personnel, the OIOS was able to compile 20 case reports, of which one civilian case and six military cases were substantiated.
A French civilian staff member took pornographic photos of young girls performing sex acts and is facing prosecution in France after the U.N. sent him home.
The six troops were either repatriated or referred to their governments and one country has convicted and sentenced two of the soldiers, Swing said.
The U.N. can punish its civilian staff but military personnel fall under the jurisdiction of their own countries. It can only ask the host country to repatriate accused soldiers and punish them at home.
The OIOS report stated it had planned to name the countries whose troops were guilty of sexual abuse but the U.N.'s Department of Peacekeeping Operations prevented it.
Jean-Marie Guehenno, U.N. undersecretary-general for peacekeeping operations said he would not name and shame the nationalities as it could jeopardize cooperation from countries which contribute troops to peacekeeping missions.
When I see people being tainted by the actions of those who've committed abuse, it demoralizes the mission, it destroys the trust that the Congolese have in the U.N'.s peacekeeping mission in Congo and in the effort of the United Nations. It is a big stain on us, Guehenno said.
Sources familiar with the investigation said allegations have been made against soldiers from South Africa, Uruguay, Morocco, Pakistan, Tunisia and Nepal.
Both Swing and the OIOS report bemoaned the lack of cooperation from the troop contingents.
The feeling of impunity is such that not only have the policies not been enforced, but the command structures have not always given investigators their full cooperation, Swing said.
The U.N. watchdog said sexual activities continued even while the investigation was ongoing, as evidenced by the presence of freshly used condoms near military camps.
It was clear that the investigation did not act as a deterrent for some of the troops, perhaps because they had not been made aware of the severe penalties for engaging in such conduct, nor had they seen any evidence of a negative impact on individual peacekeepers for such behavior.
U.N. peacekeeping officials say countries contributing troops must strengthen the punishment for offenders and send rigorous commanders.
For their part, the U.N. are deploying eight-person Code of Conduct units to ensure peacekeeping troops understand the severity of sex crimes. Code of Conduct units will be sent immediately to Congo, as well as to other sensitive peacekeeping missions in Haiti, Burundi and Ivory Coast.
The OIOS investigation was conducted between May and September 2004 and focused on sex crimes committed around a refugee camp in the northeast town of Bunia. But U.N. officials acknowledge the problem is more widespread. Guehenno and Swing said a special investigative team, headed by an assistant to the secretary-general, has been sent to Congo to determine the extent of the sexual exploitation.
The U.N.'s mission in Congo is its largest peacekeeping operation in the world. Nearly 11,000 soldiers are stationed in the country and Swing said there will be 16,000 personnel, representing over 100 nationalities by the end of February. The U.N. has about 64,000 serving in peacekeeping missions worldwide.
A five-year civil war laid waste to the country, and although it was declared over in 2003, hostilities persist to this day. About 3.8 million people have died in the conflict, according to the International Rescue Committee, making it the most deadly since World War II.
According to the U.N.'s humanitarian chief Jan Egeland, about 1,000 people die each day in Congo, largely from disease and malnutrition.
The head of Congo's independent electoral commission said Friday that elections, scheduled for June, may have to be delayed until October because of continued violence and an inadequate infrastructure.
The DRC is a vast country in Central Africa with a population of almost 55 million.