|
Indian Army to probe child abuse charges against peacekeepers in Congo |
 |
The Indian Army has ordered an inquiry to investigate charges of sexual exploitation, including child abuse, against Indian peacekeepers deployed in the Congo after the United Nations accused them. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has demanded severe disciplinary action and this has prompted Defence Minister A.K. Antony to order a prompt and time-bound investigation into the charge.
The inquiry comes after Army Vice-Chief Lieutenant General M.L. Naidu visited Congo on May 27-30 this year. The troops under the sexual misdemeanour charge have since been withdrawn and sent back to the country. The Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) of the United Nations which investigating the charges which first surfaced three months ago, revealed prime facie evidence that a number of Indian peace-keepers may have engaged in sexual exploitation and abuse. The UN body found merit in the charge that about 60 Indian Army personnel allegedly indulged in child prostitution near their camp in Congo from mid-2007 to early this year.
India joined the peacekeeping mission in Congo in 1999 and has contributed about 800 troops.
This is not the first time Indian peacekeepers in Congo have come under a cloud. In the recent past, three Indian soldiers were accused of illegally detaining a Congo businessman who allegedly sold them counterfeit gold. Also, three peacekeepers were accused of raping a South African woman while holidaying in Pretoria earlier this year, although they were later cleared of the charges. They were however recalled by the Army. India has about 8,900 troops deployed in different UN missions around the world. The Congo mission is extremely significant for the Indian Army as half of its UN deployment is in that country. India is the third largest contributor of troops to UN missions.
|
