On March 1, the House International Relations Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations heard testimony on allegations of sexual misconduct by personnel of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC).
In his opening remarks, Chair Christopher Smith (R-NJ) said that human rights organizations and internal reviews conducted by the United Nations “have uncovered over 150 allegations against Mission personnel. These allegations typically involve peacekeepers’ sexual misconduct with Congolese women and girls, usually in exchange for food or small sums of money. According to the UN, these contacts occurred with sickening frequency, and many involved girls under the age of 18, with some as young as 11-14. Even more troubling are allegations of rape, forced prostitution, and demands of sex for jobs by UN civilian personnel. However, to date, there has not been one successful prosecution of UN civilian or military personnel, either in the Congo or elsewhere.”
Rep. Smith announced his sponsorship of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 (H.R. 972). He explained that the measure “contains several provisions specifically targeted at preventing trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation, and abuse by military personnel and in peacekeeping operations,” adding that the bill “would require the State Department to certify to Congress, before it contributes U.S. logistical or personnel support to a peacekeeping mission, that the international organization has taken appropriate measures to prevent the organization’s employees, contractors, and peacekeeping forces from engaging in trafficking in persons or committing acts of illegal sexual exploitation.”
Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Organization Affairs Kim Holmes summarized actions already taken by the United Nations in response to allegations of abuse by peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC): “The UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) sent a team to investigate the allegations; it has made some recommendations. MONUC itself has implemented strict non-fraternization regulations and a curfew for its military contingent. And DPKO [the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations] has made the UN Code of Conduct the focus of special training sessions for UN peacekeepers…DPKO has established a permanent Personal Conduct Unit in its peacekeeping mission in the Congo to monitor implementation of this Code of Conduct.” Explaining that more action is needed, Dr. Holmes said that the State Department would urge the United Nations to take the following measures: · Require training for UN peacekeepers that makes it “absolutely clear” that sexual abuse and exploitation will be investigated and dealt with through disciplinary measure; · Require troop contributing countries to provide training on sexual abuse and exploitation; · Require troop contributing countries to deal with allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation through disciplinary and administrative means, and to report to the UN on the final disposition of each case; · Hold unit commanders accountable for the behavior of troops under their command; and · Establish a roster of individuals who have been found guilty of sexual abuse or exploitation, and provide a commitment that these individuals will be barred from UN service in the future.
Dr. Nile Gardiner, a fellow at the Heritage Foundation, said that the allegations of abuse in the Congo raise “serious questions about U.N. oversight of its peacekeeping operations and the culture of secrecy and lack of accountability that pervade the U.N. system. The fact that abuses of this scale are taking place under U.N. supervision is astonishing, and it is inconceivable that officials in New York were unaware of the magnitude of the problem at an early stage.” Pointing out that the United States is the largest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations and is expected to contribute over $200 million to MONUC in FY2006, Dr. Gardiner argued that the United States should take the lead in holding the United Nations accountable for the scandal. He offered a number of recommendations for Congress to consider, including calling for a UN Security Council investigation into the allegations; pressuring UN member states to prosecute their nationals accused of human rights violations; establishing an external oversight organization, completely independent of the United Nations, to act as a “watchdog” over UN operations; establishing an oversight mechanism to monitor the use of American contributions to UN peacekeeping and humanitarian operations; and withholding a percentage of the U.S. contribution to UN peacekeeping operations unless the UN personnel are brought to justice.
Testifying on behalf of Human Rights Watch, Anneke Van Woudenberg detailed the findings of her organization’s investigation in the Congo: “We interviewed girls, some as young as 13-years old, who had been raped by MONUC soldiers. We also spoke to girls aged between 12 and 15 who engaged in what is commonly called ‘survival sex’ sexual relations they entered into in order to get some food, money or protection. These relations are frequently exploitative and are particularly easy to establish in environments of conflict and massive displacement where women and girls have limited options. Allegations of sexual abuse are not unique to U.N. forces in the DRC. Human Rights Watch and other organizations have documented similar practices in Bosnia, Sierra Leone, Liberia and other countries.” Ms. Woudenberg also noted that over 40,000 women and girls have been raped or abused by other armed groups in the Congo and argued that the U.S. government should work with MONUC to hold the Congolese government accountable for the national army and other armed groups in the country. She also voiced her opposition to Dr. Gardiner’s recommendation of limiting the U.S. contribution to UN peacekeeping operations, stating, “We believe the U.N. needs to take urgent action to deal with those accused of sexual abuses, but it is important that this issue does not overshadow the important role that MONUC must play in helping to bring about peace in the DRC through a process of democratic elections…The U.S. government and others must not allow MONUC to be further weakened and must take action to ensure it is capable of doing the job for which it was created. As with a right to vote in free elections, they deserve a right to live free of human rights abuses and they deserve a right to peace.”
