MONUSCO peacekeepers patrol in eastern DR Congo
The South African government and defense officials may have deliberately decided to cover up damning details of alleged abuse involving 93 South African troops serving in DR Congo as part of the UN mission there, MONUSCO, according to confidential data.
The Democratic Alliance, South Africa’s opposition group, made the revelation on Wednesday (June 12) in Parliament in a question to the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula. The issue was raised by David Maynier, the Shadow Minister of Defence and Military Veterans.
The Defense Minister confirmed in a reply that there have been 93 cases of misconduct brought against members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) serving in Congo – mainly in the troubled east. However, he declined to give any further details.
There have been 93 cases of misconduct brought against the SANDF contingent. “Of the 93 cases, most shockingly, at least 23 involve rape, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and assault of women,” said opposition’s David Maynier, in a statement obtained by News of Rwanda.
The Democratic Alliance has outlined the allegations as including: Alleged sexual molestation; Rape and murder of a Burundian girl; Sexual abuse and exploitation; and Sexual abuse and misconduct.
“It is completely unacceptable for the members of the SANDF, who are supposed to be a disciplined military force, to begin to mirror the behaviour of the national defence force and rebel groups, in the DRC,” said David Maynier.
The parliamentary question specifically probed whether the United Nations (UN) had been informed about the outcome of each investigation conducted by the SANDF. However, this part of the question was not replied to by the Minister, says the opposition group.
“…and suggests the SANDF may not have fully cooperated with the UN in investigating some cases of misconduct in the DRC.”
David Maynier adds: “I will, therefore, be asking further parliamentary questions concerning the cooperation of the UN and the SANDF investigating the outstanding cases of misconduct in the DRC.”
Meanwhile, there are unconfirmed reports that 96 South African soldiers have been charged in relation to these abuses in Congo. No further details were available by press time.
South African soldiers are not strangers to controversy. Last month, as fighting erupted Congolese villagers were reportedly locked out of a base manned by South African troops. The German newspaper which published the reports said it did not know if the chased villagers survived the fighting.
The latest allegations against SANDF troops comes as the South African government prepares to send more troops to serve on the planned so called UN Intervention Brigade which is supposed to combat rebel groups. S.A has thousands of troops in Congo forming part of the 22,000 MONUSCO force.
Despite spending hundreds of millions of dollars every year, critics have charged that the force has nothing to show. MONUSCO is also under attack from Rwanda government which accuses it of facilitating Rwandan FDLR rebels.