Cote d’Ivoire: UN experts investigate alleged Moroccan soldiers’ sexual abuse

APA-Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire) A joint Moroccan and UN fact-finding mission has started inquiring into the alleged sexual exploitation and abuse of Moroccan troops on underage girls in Bouake, UNOCI spokesman, Hamadoun Toure, told on Thursday in his weekly press briefing. The fact-finding mission, which arrived in Cote d’Ivoire on Tuesday, will first work out a roadmap, draw up a report before giving recommendations. According to the conclusions of the UN preliminary internal inquiry, some Moroccan peacekeeping soldiers were allegedly accused of sexual abuse on underage girls in Bouake (379 km from Abidjan). In the aftermath of these allegations, UNOCI ordered the suspension of all activities of the Moroccan contingent in Bouake, pending the ongoing in-depth investigation. Morocco sent a contingent of 732 soldiers all posted in Bouake, as part of the 8,000 UNOCI peacekeepers deployed in Cote d’Ivoire since 4 April 2003. Published by Korir, API*APN africanpress@chello.no tel +47 932 99 739 or +47 6300 2525 source.apa

DR Congo: protesting crowd attacks UN peacekeepers’ base, injures staff

Kinshasa (DR Congo) An angry crowd numbering up to 1000 people in the district of Moba (south-east Katanga) on Friday stormed the military base of the UN mission (MONUC) in the Democratic Republic of Congo and injured some staff members following a protest by residents against the possible return of the Banyamulenge refugees, APA learnt Friday. The Banyamulenges are Rwandan-born Congolese Tutsis that have long lived in exile in Rwanda and are now seen as strangers in the deteriorated region. Demonstrators attacked the MONUC and the UNHCR staff and facilities by throwing stones at the MONUC vehicles before ransacking the residence of the military observers some of whom suffered light injuries. The MONUC staff was evacuated by helicopter to Kalemie, a city centre in the Katanga province. Two divisions of the Beninese UN troops secured the area and controlled the situation with support from the national army, FARDC. In a statement, the Mission “strongly condemned this coward attack on unarmed civilian and military personnel ensuring peace for the Congolese people”. The Mission noted that it was “closely monitoring the inquiry to bring the perpetrators of such acts before the law”. Published by Korir, API*APN africanpress@chello.no tel +47 932 99 739 or +47 6300 2525 source.apa