Current:Home > NewsUN suspends and detains 8 peacekeepers in Congo over allegations of sexual exploitation-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
UN suspends and detains 8 peacekeepers in Congo over allegations of sexual exploitation
View Date:2024-12-24 00:46:09
GOMA, Congo (AP) — The United Nations has suspended and detained eight peacekeepers in eastern Congo over allegations of sexual exploitation, a U.N. official said.
A statement from the U.N. on Wednesday said it has taken “strong measures in response to reports of serious misconduct by peacekeepers.” The peacekeepers have been confined pending further details and a full investigation.
According to a U.N. official, the eight peacekeepers are from South Africa and they were detained in the city of Beni in North Kivu province after being caught with prostitutes at an unauthorized bar after curfew. The official was not authorized to speak about the specifics of the case and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Conflict has been simmering in eastern Congo for decades where more than 120 armed groups are fighting in the region, mostly for land and control of mines with valuable minerals, while some groups are trying to protect their communities.
More than 12,000 U.N. peacekeepers operate in the country. Their mission is to protect civilians, deter armed groups, and build the capacity of state institutions and services.
Despite the presence of the peacekeepers in Congo for decades, the conflict has continued and is increasing.
Scores of civilians, including women and children, have been killed by the M23 rebels in the east. Earlier this week, at least four people were killed — including two Chinese nationals — when armed men attacked a mining village in Fizi territory in South Kivu province, according to local officials.
In recent months, deadly protests have erupted against the U.N. mission with demonstrators accusing it of not doing enough to protect them. Congo’s government has said it wants the U.N. to withdraw from the country in 2024.
Accusations of sexual abuse by peacekeepers in Congo are not new and in the past have been considered the epicenter of the U.N.'s sexual abuse crisis.
In 2017, of the 2,000 sexual abuse and exploitation complaints made against the U.N. worldwide over the past 12 years, more than 700 occurred in Congo.
___
Kamale reported from Kinshasa. Associated Press reporter Sam Mednick contributed from Cotonou, Benin.
veryGood! (88)
Related
- Congress returns to unfinished business and a new Trump era
- Kourtney Kardashian's Photo of Baby Boy Rocky Proves Christmas Is About All the Small Things
- See Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis Steal the Show During Royal Christmas Walk
- Laura Lynch, Dixie Chicks founding member, dies at 65 in head-on Texas car crash: 'Laura had a gift'
- Jury awards Abu Ghraib detainees $42 million, holds contractor responsible
- Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Proves He's the MVP After Giving Teammate Joe Kelly's Wife a Porsche
- A cyberattack blocks Albania’s Parliament
- Israeli man whose parents were killed on Oct. 7 calls for peace: We must break this pattern of violence
- Jessica Simpson's Husband Eric Johnson Steps Out Ringless Amid Split Speculation
- The secret life of gift cards: Here’s what happens to the billions that go unspent each year
Ranking
- All Social Security retirees should do this by Nov. 20
- Russian naval ship in Crimea damaged in airstrike by Ukrainian forces, Russian Defense Ministry says
- Is the stock market open on Christmas? See 2023, 2024 holiday schedule
- Brock Purdy’s 4 interceptions doom the 49ers in 33-19 loss to the Ravens
- Jury awards Abu Ghraib detainees $42 million, holds contractor responsible
- Is anything open on Christmas Day? Store and restaurant chains whose doors are open today.
- Student loan payments restarted after a COVID pause. Why the economy is barely feeling it.
- Morocoin Trading Exchange: Tokens and Tokenized Economy
Recommendation
-
'Bizarre:' Naked man arrested after found in crawl space of California woman's home
-
Minimum-wage workers in 22 states will be getting raises on Jan. 1
-
A Georgia nonprofit is on a mission to give building materials new life
-
A Turkish parliamentary committee resumes debate on Sweden’s NATO bid
-
DWTS’ Ilona Maher and Alan Bersten Have the Best Reaction to Fans Hoping for a Romance
-
Queen Latifah says historic Kennedy Center honor celebrates hip-hop's evolution: It should be embraced more
-
Investment, tax tips for keeping, growing your money in 2024
-
Investment, tax tips for keeping, growing your money in 2024