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POLITICS: U.N. Battles Sexual Abusers in Congo Peacekeeping

Thalif Deen

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 24 2005 (IPS) - The United Nations has been urged to aggressively crack down on peacekeeping troops and civilian staff accused of rape and sexual exploitation of women and children in the politically-chaotic Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), currently facing one of the world’s “most neglected humanitarian disasters.”

A 41-page scathing report released Thursday recommends either DNA or blood-testing to identify the paternity of “peacekeeper babies,” mostly victims of rapes or abandoned by their fathers.

“There is a need to try to ensure that fathers, who can be identified, bear some financial responsibility for their actions,” the report says.

The report urges the 191-member U.N. General Assembly to authorise Secretary-General Kofi Annan to require DNA or other tests to establish paternity in order to provide child support for children abandoned by peacekeepers.

The U.N.’s Department of Peacekeeping Operations, which oversees about 17 peacekeeping missions worldwide, has admitted it is finding it difficult to investigate charges of sexual exploitation and abuse because “traditional methods of identification through witnesses have proved difficult, if not impossible.”

Since peacekeeping troops provided by member states are subject mostly to their national laws, troop-contributing countries are responsible for the conduct and discipline of their troops.


Still, after investigations in early April, the U.N. Mission in DRC (MONUC) summarily dismissed one of its peacekeepers, a national of France, who is currently being prosecuted in his home country.

A second staffer resigned rather than face disciplinary procedures. Six others have been suspended without pay pending disciplinary action. One is still under review.

The sexual misconduct cases of five others have been referred to the U.N. Development Programme (UNDP), which seconded them for service with MONUC.

“The cases of three individuals have been closed following a full investigation, because the allegations against them were not substantiated,” U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard told reporters.

Significantly, one of these three individuals is the former MONUC chief of staff, Jacques Grinberg.

An investigation into the allegations against him was completed and no grounds for initiating disciplinary procedures were found, Eckhard said.

Since it was set up in November 1999, MONUC has been expanded to a troop strength of 16,700, the largest single U.N. peacekeeping operation today. MONUC’s budget for 2004-2005 is about 746 million dollars.

The 48 troop contributors to MONUC include Algeria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Malaysia, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Nepal, the Netherlands and Zambia.

Following revelations of sexual exploitation and abuse in MONUC last year, Annan invited Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein, the Permanent Representative of Jordan to the United Nations, to produce a comprehensive report on the charges of misconduct against peacekeepers.

The report released Thursday, and authored by Zeid al-Hussein, says there is a widespread perception that peacekeeping personnel, whether military or civilian, who commit acts of sexual exploitation and abuse rarely if ever face disciplinary charges for such acts.

Nor are they held to account financially for the harm they cause their victims. At most, says the report, they suffer administrative consequences.

“There is a similar perception that peacekeeping personnel who commit acts of sexual exploitation and abuse that constitute crimes under generally accepted standards (for example rape or sexual relations with young children) are not normally subjected to criminal prosecution, whether by court martial or by trial before a national criminal court, which would have been the inevitable result if they had committed such acts in their home countries.”

Annan says that resolving the problem therefore is a shared responsibility. “It can only succeed with firm commitment and action by both the U.N. Secretariat and the (191) member states,” he noted.

In a statement released Thursday, Annan said the allegations of sexual misconduct have not only “shocked and angered us all” but have also “done great harm to the name of peacekeeping.”

“These abhorrent acts are a violation of the fundamental duty of care that all United Nations peacekeeping personnel owe to the local population that they are sent to serve,” he added.

Annan said he welcomes the concrete recommendations made in the report, including the standardisation of rules against sexual exploitation and abuse for all categories of peacekeeping personnel; organisational, managerial and command measures to address sexual exploitation and abuse directly; and strengthening of individual accountability through the disciplinary process as well as financial and, where appropriate, criminal accountability.

The General Assembly has also been asked to authorise a professional investigative body with “experts who have had experience in sex crime investigations, particularly those involving children.”

The report says that troop-contributing countries whose legislation does not permit on-site courts-martial should consider reforming their legislation.

“We are committed to implement the necessary reforms as quickly as possible,” he said. “I also call upon member states to act with determination and due haste and to provide the necessary resources to the Secretariat and the United Nations agencies, funds and programmes to put in place the important changes required.”

Annan said that U.N. peacekeeping is a noble calling and serves as an integral part of the world’s effort to maintain peace and security.

“Sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeeping personnel must first be eliminated and then prevented from happening again,” he warned.

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