Govt wants UN to come clean on MONUC arms-for-gold scandal

Rwanda has added its voice in calling for the UN to carry out a full inquiry into allegations that UN peacekeepers in the Congo was supplying weapons to rebel groups in exchange for minerals. BBC Monday aired an investigative story in which captured rebels and classified documents indicted Pakistani and Indian members of United Nations Mission in the Congo (MONUC) as being part of the illicit affair. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rosemary Museminali, Tuesday called on the UN to launch immediate investigations into allegations implicating MONUC for trading arms and ammunition for gold, ivory and drugs with several militia groups. The UN has the primary responsibility of investigation these unprofessional conducts, malpractices and delinquencies practiced by its peacekeepers in DRC, Museminali said. She added since allegations were made against members of the UN, it was imperative that the world body takes steps to investigate the serious charges. Museminali added that Rwanda had earlier raised the same concerns and that it was unfortunate that the UN had not taken any action. It is very frustrating that the UN which is supposed to carry out the disarmament is instead trading arms to the rebels, she said The President’s Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region, Dr. Richard Sezibera, urged the UN should take immediate action and get to the bottom of the scandal. It is important that the UN addresses this issue in the quickest time possible and we expect that disarmament is carried out smoothly, he said. The UN promised to handle the issue and we are currently waiting for their report, Sezibera added. MONUC spokesman Kemal Saiki denied the allegations and claimed that they had never been involved in trading arms and ammunition. Speaking to The New Times the UN diplomat disassociated MONUC from the allegations saying that they should instead be levelled against three people who were implicated in the report. Saiki however confirmed that the three suspects were peacekeepers of MONUC and the mission had sent them back to their home countries because they were implicated in ‘illegal gold trading’. There was nothing like trading arming or exchanging arms with Gold; it was just three individuals who were smuggling gold, said Saiki. Asked what MONUC has done about the suspects, Saiki said that the UN had compiled a report and sent it to their respective countries. MONUC can not take any other action apart from kicking them out of the mission and sending them back to their respective countries. MONUC is not mandated to control the discipline of its peacekeepers, said the spokesman The BBC report had claimed the UN had compiled a report (of which BBC saw) and never published it because it contained critical information that exposed the illegal trade by the MONUC contingent. Saiki said that the BBC report was far from reality, there is no evidence in what BBC published. This is not the first time, though, that MONUC has come under fire for improper conduct by its peacekeepers. The UN investigated and confirmed that UN personnel had been involved in paedophilia in the Congo and had sexually exploited Congolese women and girls.Ends

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Govt wants UN to come clean on MONUC arms-for-gold scandal