A senior South African military law officer is to help the United Nations investigate allegations of sexual abuse in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
”Commander Gordon Wardley (43) has been seconded for a three month period to the United Nations to investigate alleged sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeeping troops in the DRC,” said SA National Defence Force spokesperson Colonel John Rolt said in a statement on Monday.
Since 2002 Wardley has served for six months as legal advisor to the UN Force commander in the DRC and for nine months as the UN Force commander’s legal advisor in Liberia.
Allegations of sexual exploitation of girls as young as 13 by peacekeepers in the DRC started emerging around the eastern town of Bunia in early 2004. About 150 cases have been reported.
In January, an initial report by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services found that peacekeepers bartered sex for payments including eggs, milk or bread.
The UN said the problem has persisted even though troops were aware of the investigation.
Nearly 11 000 UN peacekeepers are deployed in the restive country to help secure a peace deal that ended the 1998-2002 war.
On Monday, the UN welcomed the arrest of six Moroccan peacekeepers by that country’s authorities for sexual misconduct. – Sapa