Eight SANDF members recalled for sexual misconduct in Congo
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has recalled eight UN peacekeepers deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) following allegations of sexual misconduct against them.
SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said the soldiers were part of the UN peacekeeping mission in eastern Congo, known as Monusco, and sources first told Reuters about the alleged abuses last week.
“It is alleged in the UN report that on October 1 the eight SANDF soldiers deployed in Beni were apprehended by the United Nations Military Police (UN MP) for being in direct breach of the curfew time and other regulations related to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA).”
He said the SANDF were made aware of the allegations in the media, an incident he described as “unfortunate.”
“The reporting procedure was not followed by the United Nations because the RSA Defence Advisor nor the RSA United Nations Representative were not informed as per the Standard Operating Procedure for all TCC’s.”
In a statement released on Sunday, the SANDF said due to the serious nature of the allegations, the SANDF took a decision to recall the implicated soldiers back to South Africa to answer to the allegations and to give account of events that transpired on Sunday, 01 October 2023 in Beni
The SANDF said it had also sent national investigating officers to the deployment area to conduct a full investigation and would respond when that process had concluded.
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