Expressing deep concern over reports of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers in Southern Sudan, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had said the world body's has a policy of zero tolerance, zero complacency and zero impunity in such cases.
In a statement on Wednesday, he had said the United Nations is looking into the substance of the reports to determine if the allegations are true.
The Daily Telegraph of London reported on Tuesday, the first day of Ban in office, that UN peacekeepers and civilian staff were raping and abusing children as young as 12 in southern Sudan.
The newspaper, in a story posted on its web site, said it had gathered accounts from more than 20 young victims in the town of Juba of UN civilian and peacekeeping staff forcing them to have sex.
"It is the UN's policy to treat credible allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse as serious offences to be investigated by the Office of Internal Oversight Services. OIOS has a team permanently based in the Sudan that investigates all allegations of abuse. Over the past year, as a result of UN investigations, four UNMIS peacekeepers have already been repatriated," the world body said.
The UN, it said, is working closely with local authorities and all operational partners, including troop-contributing countries, to ensure that UN personnel adhere to the highest standards of accountability. When necessary, strong disciplinary action will be taken.
The problem of sexual abuse and exploitation by the peacekeepers surfaced in 2004, when a UN report found that a 'shockingly large number' of peacekeepers had engaged in such practices in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with payments for sex sometimes ranging from two eggs to $5 per encounter. The victims included many abandoned orphans who were often illiterate.
The UN responded with vigorous investigations. By the end of last November, 319 peacekeeping personnel in all missions had been investigated. These probes resulted in the summary dismissal of 18 civilians and the repatriation on disciplinary grounds of 17 police and 144 military personnel.
Under the agreement with the troop contributing countries, the world body can only send offenders back to their home counties with recommendations that they be prosecuted. But so far very few prosecutions have been reported.
