Posted on 01/07/2005 11:32:23 PM PST by kattracks
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Sexual abuse of girls by U.N. peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was widespread and ongoing despite many revelations and probes, the U.N. watchdog agency reported on Friday.
The peacekeepers over the last year have been accused of gang rapes, sexual harassment and bribing children as young as 12 or 13 with eggs, milk and a few dollars to have sex in bushes, on the bare ground or under mango trees.
The new report by the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) concentrates on Bunia, in the eastern part of the Congo, where fighting was intense earlier this year.
"In our view the problem was and continues to be widespread," Barbara Dixon of OIOS, who worked on the report, said at a news conference. "We ran into fairly substantial resistance from contingent commanders."
The watchdog team, one of several U.N. probes looking into the sexual abuse charges, investigated 72 allegations against both military and civilian U.N. personnel, which resulted in 20 case reports, one against a U.N. civilian employee.
They fully substantiated the abuses in seven cases, with young girls identifying soldiers from a line up.
Separate probes included cases against another 20 soldiers, of which investigations were completed against six, who were either repatriated or referred to their governments for action, U.N. officials said.
"A lot of the girls were traumatized, by war as well as abuse, Dixon said. "What they knew was if they wanted to eat, this was a way to do it."
FROM SEVERAL NATIONS
One French U.N. staffer, who made pornographic videos of children, was jailed in France for rape. South Africa is taking action against two soldiers. Allegations have also been made against soldiers from Uruguay, Morocco, Tunisia, and Nepal.
The United Nations (news - web sites) has many rules for not taking advantage of the local population, especially sex with anyone under 18.
Jean-Marie Guehenno, the U.N. undersecretary-general for peacekeeping, was asked at a news conference why sex was not banned between the peacekeepers and the local population, regardless of age and since much of it appeared forced.
Guehenno said he agreed but questioned how a "universal diktat" could be implemented.
There are nearly 11,000 military personnel in the Congo to help keep the peace after a civil war. The force is the largest among the 64,000 soldiers in 16 U.N. peacekeeping operations around the world.
Many of the details in the report had been leaked previously, but OIOS also said the peacekeeping operation, led by American diplomat William Lacy Swing, had not yet implemented "an effective prevention program in Bunia."
But Swing said he had sent home two company commanders for not controlling their troops and listed a host of measures the world body was taking, including programs for the abused.
The United Nations has jurisdiction over its own civilian staff but troops are contributed by individual nations. Consequently, the world body has only the power to demand a specific country repatriate an accused soldier and punish him or her at home.
Guehenno also said meetings were being held with troop-contributing countries, who are being challenged to come up with a "tough justice system."
Charges of abuses among peacekeepers are not new. Canada and Italy, for example, disclosed more than a decade ago their soldiers had tortured Somalis. But media reports about them have multiplied and now U.N. officials speak about them openly.
Dixon indicated, however, that some of those expelled from peacekeeping missions, ended up in other U.N. jobs instead of being "permanently blacklisted."
But, but, but, this can't be true! They are the UN! They are the only one that has the moral authority when it comes to humanitarian aid! At least, that's what that woman said...
I'm beginning to think that most men should be neutered in order to put a stop to this terrible behavior...all over the world. It is sickening.
Whoa now! If you're gonna go for neutering men, may as well just add a bullet to the head.
Close the@$#*()&%$$%^$@ U.N.
Then what's the solution? I am sickened, also, by the reports of the children being abused, stolen, raped, etc. after they have survived the tsunami. Enough already with the men who have this type of sexual drive and can't control themselves. A little testosterone reduction program would do wonders for these mutants, and this would be a better world.
Article
17/12/2004
Rape in Ituri: Kpandroma under a law of silence
http://www.monuc.org/Story.aspx?StoryID=356
"There has been an average of one rape case reported for every day since last July, said one heath official in Djugu. The latest victims include a 3-year-old girl and a 76-year-old lady, according to one source, who requested not to be named out of fear of reprisals."
There is no solution.
And it's not going to stop.
We are paying to have children turned into prostitutes for the UN.
You can't polish dirt, let alone make it shine.
Which is worse?
1) Underwear on heads and big naked piles of men who had tried to kill you?
2) Raping, bribing, and sexually abusing those in your care and under your protection?
If you watch CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS... You'd think #1 was worse than #2. Even Fox News isn't being diligent in reporting true atrocities... This should get lots of play time, as disgusting as it is.
Hmm... I wish I got Fox News in Samoa...
I agree with you. I am so utterly disgusted by these reports of men preying on children. What is wrong with these men? The sad thing is that it occurs quite frequently in this world. It is not just prevalent in the areas affected by the tsunami. It is prevalent around the world. It is the dirty little secret in many families. I personally know a number of women and men who were sexually abused as children. It may have been a neighbor, a teacher, a relative, or an immediate family member. It happens more than many people care to admit. It is sickening and these men should be severely punished. These children will never regain their innocence. It was brutally taken away from them. Uggghhh!
The sad thing is that the Ituri area was raped clean by the remaining crazies from the local wars in the 94-95 rwanda incident. Now the "saviors," the UN are doing the same things, for mayonaise. Is sex so important? FOR MAYONAISE!?!
I am beginning to think...all UN peacekeepers should be female, but not homosexuals. Lesbo's also tend to be into rape, IMO of course.
"I'm beginning to think that most men should be neutered in order to put a stop to this terrible behavior...all over the world. It is sickening."
Leave men in the US out of it. It appears that most rapes here are from illegal alians. On the other hand, perhaps you should take a knife to the UN headquarters, itself....
On a more seious note, get DNA samples from all of those UN troops. If a little girl or rape victim gets a DNA matchup, then she gets a huge jackpot, while the soldier is taken back to his respective nation for punishment. Also, what's to keep people from sending women in the Congo camcorders? Catch someone in the food-for-sex scandal, and you win the Congo lotto.
Hey, these ideas weren't implemented [easilly thought up]because the problem isn't with men in general. The problem is with the UN.
Here in the US, with DNA testing, rape mainly occurs from illegal alians. Get a grip.
...and we should do the same to the female teachers molesting our young boys as well, right?
Not surprised....The U.N. embodies the third world's attempt at trying to police itself.....Just look at how they've done...complete failure!
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