The United Nations is investigating a suspected child prostitution ring involving its peacekeepers and government soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the U.N. mission said on Thursday. Among accusations being investigated is that pimps are using the presence of U.N. peacekeepers to lure vulnerable girls to go and work as prostitutes in areas of South Kivu where they are deployed, the mission said in a statement.The U.N.'s 17,000-strong mission MONUC, which is backing a string of peace deals in the vast African nation following a 1998-2003 war and helping to run elections, has been hit by a series of sex scandals and last year banned sex with locals. "Although the majority of their patrons are Congolese soldiers and civilians, some of the girls involved mentioned that elements of MONUC contingents based in the region were also among their clients," the statement said. "MONUC takes these allegations very seriously and has expressed extreme shock at the testimonies of the victims of this illegal activity," it added.
The U.N. mission said it had launched a special investigation to investigate the allegations and stressed that there would be "zero tolerance" of sexual abuses by its troops.
| Ummm... I have no great love for the UN or its peacekeepers, but just going to a whorehouse is no great scandal. |