UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
3 Mar
2009
Zero-Tolerance Policy Regarding Sexual Exploitation and Abuse: MONUC more vigilant than ever
Press Release
* Original in French
MONUC / PIO / PR /16 / 2005
Kinshasa, R.D. Congo, 11 April 2005: MONUC was informed, this past weekend, of an incident in which the police in Kinshasa arrested two international civilian employees of U.N. Mission, one of them a United Nations volunteer (UNV).
* Original in French
MONUC / PIO / PR /16 / 2005
Kinshasa, R.D. Congo, 11 April 2005: MONUC was informed, this past weekend, of an incident in which the police in Kinshasa arrested two international civilian employees of U.N. Mission, one of them a United Nations volunteer (UNV).
According to information in the possession of MONUC, in the night of Friday to Saturday, the Congolese police launched a search operation at the residence of a civilian employee of MONUC, in downtown Kinshasa, on the basis of information received indicating the presence of an unusual number of persons at this apartment including two U.N. civilian personnel as well as thirteen women of Congolese nationality. The police arrested and detained them at a police station from which they were subsequently released after the intervention of MONUC security officers who took the matter in hand. The Congolese police brought no charges against MONUC civilian personnel.
Immediately upon being informed about the incident, MONUC leadership suspended the staff concerned until the end of the investigation, an automatic measure in such cases. The investigation will permit to determine whether there has been any breach of MONUC Code of Conduct and of the zero-tolerance policy in force within the United Nations peacekeeping missions.
In an unrelated incident, soldiers of the Nepalese contingent of MONUC, based in Ituri and who were, over this weekend, on a supply mission in the locality of Aruwa, Uganda, were accused of having negotiated the services of prostitutes in this locality. In the face of their refusal to pay for the silence of their accusers as they were asked to, the MONUC soldiers were reported to the police forces of the town, which arrested and detained them on the basis of these accusations. They were released a few hours later, with no charges filed.
Informed of this incident, the Military Command of MONUC decided to immediately launch an investigation and summoned the persons concerned as well as their superiors to the headquarters of the Brigade to which they belong, in Bunia (main city of the Ituri district, in eastern Congo,) for questioning.
It should be noted that the Nepalese contingent command immediately took the necessary measures to facilitate the investigation, stressing that it was taking the matter very seriously and acting in full coordination with MONUC Military Command to ensure that the investigation is rapidly, fairly and comprehensively conducted.
Civilian investigators of MONUC Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Office are also involved in the inquiry.
MONUC notes with satisfaction that in these two incidents involving members of its personnel ? and despite the possibilities of manipulation and blackmail which should not be ruled out ? the authorities concerned, whether the Congolese and Ugandan police or the military command and security section of MONUC, showed great vigilance, thereby demonstrating their determination to fight against sexual exploitation and abuse.
MONUC would like to stress that, in all these cases, it applies the principle of presumption of innocence to all personnel concerned who will, if found guilty, be punished, or if innocent, vindicated as such.
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Media contacts:
- Kemal SAIKI, Director of Public Information ? email : saiki@un.org ? phone : +243 81 890 7506
- Mamadou BAH, Spokesman ? email : bahm@un.org ? phone : +243 81 890 7706
Immediately upon being informed about the incident, MONUC leadership suspended the staff concerned until the end of the investigation, an automatic measure in such cases. The investigation will permit to determine whether there has been any breach of MONUC Code of Conduct and of the zero-tolerance policy in force within the United Nations peacekeeping missions.
In an unrelated incident, soldiers of the Nepalese contingent of MONUC, based in Ituri and who were, over this weekend, on a supply mission in the locality of Aruwa, Uganda, were accused of having negotiated the services of prostitutes in this locality. In the face of their refusal to pay for the silence of their accusers as they were asked to, the MONUC soldiers were reported to the police forces of the town, which arrested and detained them on the basis of these accusations. They were released a few hours later, with no charges filed.
Informed of this incident, the Military Command of MONUC decided to immediately launch an investigation and summoned the persons concerned as well as their superiors to the headquarters of the Brigade to which they belong, in Bunia (main city of the Ituri district, in eastern Congo,) for questioning.
It should be noted that the Nepalese contingent command immediately took the necessary measures to facilitate the investigation, stressing that it was taking the matter very seriously and acting in full coordination with MONUC Military Command to ensure that the investigation is rapidly, fairly and comprehensively conducted.
Civilian investigators of MONUC Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Office are also involved in the inquiry.
MONUC notes with satisfaction that in these two incidents involving members of its personnel ? and despite the possibilities of manipulation and blackmail which should not be ruled out ? the authorities concerned, whether the Congolese and Ugandan police or the military command and security section of MONUC, showed great vigilance, thereby demonstrating their determination to fight against sexual exploitation and abuse.
MONUC would like to stress that, in all these cases, it applies the principle of presumption of innocence to all personnel concerned who will, if found guilty, be punished, or if innocent, vindicated as such.
*******************************
Media contacts:
- Kemal SAIKI, Director of Public Information ? email : saiki@un.org ? phone : +243 81 890 7506
- Mamadou BAH, Spokesman ? email : bahm@un.org ? phone : +243 81 890 7706
