The 51³Ô¹Ï Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has taken robust action in response to allegations of serious misconduct, including sexual exploitation and abuse and assault, by members of the South African military contingent.ÌýÌý
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According to a preliminary assessment, nine members of the South African contingent serving in the east of the country were seen fraternizing after curfew hours at out-of-bounds bars known as locations where transactional sex occurs, which is strictly prohibited under the UN standards of conduct. The contingent members allegedly assaulted MONUSCO staff members and military police personnel, who were attempting to detain them during the patrol.ÌýÌý
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These nine identified contingent members have been detained and confined to barracks by the military police. One senior South African military officer also reportedly attempted to hinder the investigation and threatened Mission personnel, while two other senior South African military officers reportedly failed to properly exercise their responsibilities in the command of their personnel.ÌýÌý
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The UN has notified the South African authorities who indicated their full cooperation including through the deployment of a national investigation officer. Any identified victims will be referred for assistance in line with the 51³Ô¹Ï Comprehensive Strategy on Assistance and Support to Victims of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.Ìý
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Due to the very serious nature of the allegations, and the serious failure observed in the exercise of command and control, the UN has decided to immediately repatriate the nine contingent members and one senior military officer and requested the replacement of the two other senior military officers.ÌýÌý
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MONUSCO remains firmly committed to ensuring adherence to the UN’s standards of conduct and robustly enforcing the Secretary-General’s policy of zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse.
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