UN staff in sex scandal
2004-11-19 21:58
Nairobi - United Nations Secretary-General Koffi Annan admitted on Friday there was clear evidence that civilian staff and a small number of troops in its peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of Congo had committed sexual abuse, saying he was outraged by the incidents.
Annan said in a statement released in Nairobi that he had received a "detailed briefing... about the investigations which the UN initiated some time ago into allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by civilian and military peacekeeping personnel in the DRC".
"I am afraid there is clear evidence that acts of gross misconduct have taken place.
"This is a shameful thing for the United Nations to have to say, and I am absolutely outraged by it," said Annan.
The confession came as UN employees in New York were readying to make a historic vote of no confidence in Annan, said sources.
The UN staff union, in what officials said was the first vote of its kind in the more than 50-year history of the United Nations, was set to approve a resolution withdrawing its support for the embattled Annan and UN management.
Concern only a small number of personnel
Annan has been in the line of fire for a high-profile series of scandals, including controversy about a UN aid programme that investigators say allowed deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to embezzle billions of dollars.
Regarding the DRC abuse claims, Annan said: "Many of these allegations came to light last spring, and have since been looked into both by Monuc (the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo) itself and by the office of internal oversight services.
"I am glad to say the allegations concern only a small number of UN personnel," he added.
"But it is vital that the investigations be speeded up.
Must be held fully accountable
"We cannot rest until we have rooted out all such practices from Monuc, from any other peacekeeping operation, and indeed anywhere in the organisation that they might occur," he said.
"And we must make sure that those involved are held fully accountable," he added.
The UN mission in DRC now comprises about 10 000 troops and was first deployed in 2001, two years before a major war there actually ended.
Annan did not specify where the abuses had taken place, but reports of misconduct by UN personnel had previously mentioned the northeastern town of Bunia.