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UN sends troops home over child sex claims


BBC


November 3, 2007


The United Nations is sending home from Haiti more than 100 Sri Lankan peacekeepers accused of sexual misconduct and abuse.

The allegations concern paying Haitian prostitutes for sex, including underage girls.

Earlier this year 800 peacekeepers were suspended in Ivory Coast after allegations of sexual abuse surfaced there.

This is the latest in a series of allegations of sexual abuse by UN peacekeepers.

Accusations that Sri Lankan peacekeepers had used prostitutes, including underage girls, were investigated by the UN and the Sri Lankan Government.

The UN found the allegations to be credible.

Consequently, 108 peacekeepers and three of their officers are being sent home.

The UN has a policy of zero tolerance towards sexual abuse by peacekeepers but it is up to the governments who contribute the troops to discipline the peacekeepers.

UN undersecretary-general for peacekeeping operations, Jean-Marie Guehenno, says the tough policy is not easy to enforce.

"Zero tolerance, zero complacency cannot not mean zero incident," he said.

"In no army do you find zero incident.

Click here for the full story.

"We now have an extremely high level of deployments - we have more than 100,000 people deployed around the world.

"It's like a a big city - so it's like asking a city to have zero crime in the city."



November 2007 News




Senator Tom Coburn's activity on the Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International Security

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