No written complaint has been laid against a South African police officer accused of sexually harassing another officer in Sudan, a spokesperson said on Tuesday.
”Deputy National Commissioner Andre Pruis has been in contact with the African Union. They have not received any written complaint,” Director Sally de Beer said.
She was responding to media reports that a complaint has been laid against a South African police officer by a female officer, while stationed at El Fashir in Darfur.
Apparently the officer had ”fondled and tried to kiss” her in her tent.
They are both part of a six-strong South African contingent with the AU’s civilian police force in Darfur.
The officer concerned has also been accused of disciplinary problems by Senegalese and Gambian peacekeepers — and all these written complaints were handed to Pruis when he visited the mission two weeks ago, Beeld newspaper reported.
De Beer said Pruis held discussions with groups from all the representative African countries when he visited. Various issues were raised with him, including ”control problems”.
”He [Pruis] is currently reviewing the problems. We are not prepared to discuss specific allegations,” she said.
The group arrived in Sudan less than two months ago.
Twelve new recruits have now been added to the original six, and the plan is to expand South Africa’s representation in Darfur to 100 police officers by the end of the year, De Beer said.
Members of the South African National Defence Force have also been fingered in a recent United Nations report on sexual misconduct in peacekeeping forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
While none of the allegations against South African soldiers include rape or harassment, it does implicate them with involvement with underage prostitutes.
Media reports at the time showed the defence force as saying the UN will deal with the problem and the UN saying it is for South Africa to discipline its forces.
New regulations
Over the Easter weekend, Beeld reported that the UN Security Council is to tackle this apparent confusion in responsibility for disciplining peacekeepers by adopting a new set of regulations that will allow the UN to monitor — and ensure — the prosecution of peacekeepers by their country of origin.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said the UN cannot stop the sexual abuse by peacekeepers without the support of the countries providing them.
He said the regulations will be implemented as soon as the Security Council accepts the recommendations.
If the new regulations are accepted, South Africa and other contributing countries will be required to report regularly on the prosecution of their recalcitrant troops.
The countries will also have to explain if the prosecution is not finalised within a reasonable time.
Among other recommendations, the UN will reward commanders who maintain good discipline; every country will deploy at least one military legal officer along with its troops; and more female peacekeepers will be deployed to help with outreach programmes in the local communities.
Peacekeepers who father children might also be made to pay maintenance.
The UN will in future also help to have DNA tests done to prove paternity. If paternity is proven, such a soldier might be forced to pay a year’s salary to a trust fund.
The UN will pay out the money to the child’s mother as it sees fit. — Sapa