Opposition wants SA troops probed in DR Congo sex scam.
The opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for urgent action to address alleged sexual misconduct of some South African National Defence Force (SANDF) troops serving with the UN peacekeeping force in DR Congo.
This follows a UN revelation that members of the South African military in DR Congo were linked to over a quarter of the sexual misconduct complaints made against foreign military personnel, though the SANDF did not have the largest number of troops in the country.
DA Defence spokesperson Rafeek Shah said of the 95 military personnel investigated on allegations of sexual misconduct in DR Congo, 30 belong to the SANDF.
"This constitutes 32 percent of the total number. Among the 30 South African members under investigation, allegations against eight have been substantiated so far, representing about 26 percent of all substantiated cases," Shah said Monday in a statement issued here.
He also spoke of four new allegations involving seven members of the SANDF peacekeeping contingent that are yet to be investigated.
Shah charged that the United Nations was also investigating a bag of gemstones linked to the SANDF that was found in a safe on the South African contingent base in Kinshasa, the DR Congo capital.
"Unlicensed trade or possession of such gemstones is highly illegal both in DR Congo and South Africa," the DA official added.
He urged on government to urgently discipline those implicated in both the sexual misconduct and gemstones cases to prevent damage to South Africa's reputation and undermine the good work of the majority of SANDF members in the DR Congo.
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17 Octobre 2005 à 14:01 dans
- zsandf (anglais)
