Eight UN peacekeepers detained in Congo over sexual abuse allegations

Eight United Nations (UN) peacekeepers have been detained over allegations of sexual abuse. In a statement on Wednesday (Oct 11), the UN's peace-keeping mission in eastern Congo, known as MONUSCO, said it had suspended a number of its peacekeepers in response to reports of the misconduct. At present, MONUSCO has around 17,000 personnel deployed in the east of the country.

"The Office of Internal Oversight Services has been seized of the matter and precautionary measures have already been initiated in line with the Secretary-General’s zero-tolerance policy for sexual exploitation and abuse and other forms of misconduct," the statement said.

"These initial measures include suspension from duty, detention, and confinement to quarters of concerned peacekeepers pending receipt of additional information on the allegations, including through the conduct of a full-fledged investigation," it added.

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On Thursday, Stephane Dujjarric, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, told reporters, "Upon receiving information that contingent members from the UN peacekeeping force in the DRC deployed at a base in the eastern part of the country were fraternizing, after curfew hours, at an out of bounds bar known to be a place where transactional sex occurs, the UN Mission’s military police and conduct and discipline personnel visited the premises to assess the reports they had received."

"After confirming their presence and attempting to detain the contingent members for breaching the UN’s standards of conduct and the Mission’s non-fraternization policy, UN Mission personnel were physically assaulted and threatened by the contingent members," he added.

For years, MONUSCO and other UN peacekeeping missions in Africa have been plagued by allegations of sexual misconduct. The UN has created special units to combat sexual abuse and assist victims. However, the UN has struggled to stop the problem.

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