afrol News, 19 November - The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is now set to launch an independent investigations into widespread allegations of violent sexual abuse by a peacekeeper in the country's northeast.

The world body has imposed zero tolerance policy against sexual abuse and exploitation by its peacekeepers. Top UN officials said peacekeepers involved in such acts must be punished.

Already, the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) have stormed Bunia, the capital of the northeast district of Ituri, to Investigate the violent sexual abuse.

One of the DRC peacekeepers based in Bunia has been accused of violence and sexual exploitation and abuse against an unnamed woman on the night of November 13.

“All allegations of this nature are taken very seriously by the mission,” the UN's DRC mission confirmed, assuring its full cooperation with the investigators.

The UN's DRC peacekeeping mission, which was established in 1999, is one of the largest peacekeeping missions in the world. The mission comprises of over 30,000 [troops and personnel combined].

By staff writer

© afrol News

Related pages and feature

Current afrol News Top Stories