Sex claims worry defence

2004-07-13 00:01

Pretoria - The defence ministry on Monday expressed deep concern about reported allegations of South African National Defence Force members deployed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) being involved in sexual attacks on minors there.

The ministry was reacting to an United Nations report detailing sexual attacks on minors by South African soldiers stationed in the DRC.

There had been allegations of 50 cases of sexual attacks on minors carried out by Monuc, the United Nations mission to the DRC, in Bunia in the north-east of the country in the past year, according to the report.

"The ministry views such allegations in a serious light and will leave no stone unturned to get to the bottom of the source and substance of these allegations," defence ministry spokesperson Sam Mkhwanazi said.

He added that the ministry was awaiting official reports from Monuc.

Reputation of troops

Democratic Alliance defence spokesperson Rafeek Shah said the allegations brought South Africa's integrity into question.

"By becoming involved in this sort of criminal activity, if indeed the allegations are correct, the troop's entire role and reason for being in the DRC are undermined."

He said the guilty parties should be dealt with swiftly so that the reputation of South African troops in the DRC was not further tarnished.

The DA would table questions in parliament on the issue.

The Star newspaper reported on Monday that a South African colonel in Goma allegedly sexually molested his young male interpreter.

Investigations by the UN found that he had requested male interpreters under the age of 18 since the start of his mission.

He was repatriated to South Africa, but there was no indication that he was investigated or prosecuted on his return.

Details sent to UN headquarters

The UN probe follows an investigation by The Independent newspaper in London, and a cable sent last month from the Monuc office in Kinshasa to the UN headquarters in New York detailing sexual abuses against minors.

A second cable was sent, recording a further four allegations and adding that special attention must be paid to the behaviour of South African Monuc troops in Kindu, Moroccan Monuc troops in Kinsangani and Monuc troops from Uruguay, Pakistan and Nepal.

- SAPA