A recent report published by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has indicated that UN peacekeepers are accused of widespread sexual abuse in various different parts of the world. According to the report, there were 99 different sexual assault allegations last year against UN Peacekeepers in 21 countries.
"It has been a terrible year for the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter. From barrel bombs to beheadings, from the deliberate starvation of civilians to the assault on hospitals, UN shelters and aid convoys, human rights and the rule of law are under attack," Ki-moon said.
The allegations come from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Morocco, South Africa, Cameroon, Congo, Tanzania, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Gabon, Niger, Nigeria and Togo, Rwanda, Ghana, Madagascar and Senegal.
The report also noticed that the number of sexual attacks by UN peacekeepers has actually been increasing over time.
"This increase in the number of allegations is deeply concerning," the report said.
It was also revealed that at least 22 children were sexually abused by peacekeepers. Some of those children were as young as 13 years old.
UN troops are also accused of running a prostitution ring where they would sell underage girls and boys for 50 cents.
Anthony Banbury, the U.N. assistant secretary general for field support, admitted that this prostitution ring existed in a place called "The M'poko camp."
"The M'poko camp is, unfortunately, a place where horrible, unacceptable things happen to women and children. In some cases, we have credible allegations that there are U.N. personnel that have committed these crimes," Banbury told the Washington Post.
Most disturbing about these cases is the fact that there have been no prosecutions. Out of 99 different alleged attacks in 21 different countries, there has been no attempt at justice.
One soldier was given a 9-day suspension, while ten other soldiers and three police officers were officially reprimanded and barred from participating in future missions, but they still kept their jobs and avoided any criminal charges. In previous years, peacekeepers have lost their jobs and in rare cases did face criminal charges when there was enough evidence against them in sexual assault cases overseas.
It is also possible that these numbers are being underestimated. As we reported last year, in Haiti alone there were 231 people who claimed they were sexually violated by UN peacekeepers and were forced to perform sexual acts in exchange for food and supplies that were intended as relief packages.
This is not the first time that UN workers have been accused of these types of crimes. After the UN has entered areas like Cambodia, Mozambique, Bosnia, Sudan and Kosovo, there was an explosion of sex trafficking and numerous reports of abuse. Just last year, the UN was caught attempting to cover-up the fact that their workers had raped starving and homeless boys in the Central African Republic.
Comment: Wherever there is chaos and upheaval predators are aways in the background picking out the weak. One wonders if these "peacekeepers" joined up solely for the easy access to vulnerable and suffering children.
http://www.sott.net/article/313696-U-N-Peacekeepers-go-on-rape-spree-in-21-countries-no-prosecutions-are-made
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