MONUC welcomes Morocco's decision to arrest six of its soldiers accused of sexual assault in Congo
Morocco, Local, 2/15/2005

The UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) welcomed Morocco's decision to arrest six of its soldiers who were accused of sexual assault on civilians in the African Great Lakes country.

The UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC) said Monday it considers that the jailing of the suspects, pending their court martial, "shows that the Moroccan authorities attach as much importance to eradicating sexual abuse within UN peacekeeping missions as does the UN."

The Mission said it hoped the vigorous and public reaction from the Moroccan Government would serve as an example for other troop-contributing countries to follow.

Last weekend, Morocco strongly condemned any act likely to jeopardise the UN noble mission following the involvement of members of the MONUC, including elements of the Moroccan contingent, in sexual abuse of minor girls. Morocco, that issued sanctions against servicemen involved in the abuse, reaffirms its full commitment to UN charter basic principles and to the enforcement of a "zero tolerance" policy toward sex exploitation and abuse.

Investigations were immediately conducted, after information surfaced last year on the abuse, by both MONUC services and the Moroccan royal Gendarmerie to identify the culprits and take appropriate measures.

After diligent investigations, the commander and his assistant of the Moroccan contingent were dismissed from their units, and among the 17 servicemen, six soldiers were identified, arrested and will be brought to justice. Morocco sent 805 troops to Congo as part of the MUNOC, which totals 14,000 men from 48 countries.

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