There are ongoing investigations into allegations of misconduct by U.N. peacekeepers in southern Sudan. As of today, four U.N. peacekeepers have been repatriated and confirmed to be from Bangladesh. The date of some of these investigations of misconduct, including sexual abuse, date back to 2005.
The U.N. Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) has been trying to prevent these kinds of situations, Ms. Montas said and that there have been whole platoons repatriated for not meeting DPKO standards in the past.
(Ms Montas is the new Spokesperson for the Secretary General)
There have been reports that children as young as twelve have been lured into the cars of U.N. peacekeepers with promises of cash and food. There are said to be reports from children themselves, of being forced into having sex and later being pushed out of the cars onto the street. There have been no names to go along with these reports of abuse as of yet but the Office Of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) is reported to be calling on all parties to make available to them details including the names of children interviewed.
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stated the U.N. standard is "zero tolerance and zero impunity" on this issue. George Sommerwill of the U.N. mission in Sudan (UNMIS) told IRIN news, that the U.N. takes all allegations of this kind very, very seriously, indeed.
Elisa Burchett
U.N. OBSERVER & International Report
Please also see:
United Nations and Sudan
http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=88&Body=Sudan&Body1=
The U.N. Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) has been trying to prevent these kinds of situations, Ms. Montas said and that there have been whole platoons repatriated for not meeting DPKO standards in the past.
(Ms Montas is the new Spokesperson for the Secretary General)
There have been reports that children as young as twelve have been lured into the cars of U.N. peacekeepers with promises of cash and food. There are said to be reports from children themselves, of being forced into having sex and later being pushed out of the cars onto the street. There have been no names to go along with these reports of abuse as of yet but the Office Of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) is reported to be calling on all parties to make available to them details including the names of children interviewed.
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stated the U.N. standard is "zero tolerance and zero impunity" on this issue. George Sommerwill of the U.N. mission in Sudan (UNMIS) told IRIN news, that the U.N. takes all allegations of this kind very, very seriously, indeed.
Elisa Burchett
U.N. OBSERVER & International Report
Please also see:
United Nations and Sudan
http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=88&Body=Sudan&Body1=