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RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 1292
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RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
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RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000056 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/18/2017 
TAGS: PREL KPKO ER ET
SUBJECT: UNMEE: CONFRONTING SEXUAL ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION 
 
REF: A) 2006 STATE 204157 B) 2006 ASMARA 755 C) 
     ASMARA 814 
 
Classified By: CDA Jennifer McIntyre for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (U) The following is in response to reftel A. 
 
¶2. (C) Since the establishment of the UN Peacekeeping Mission 
to Eritrea and Ethiopia in 2001, there have been few reported 
incidents of sexual exploitation and abuse and trafficking in 
persons within Eritrea.  UNMEE Chief Legal Counsel Franklyn 
Baikargbo and UNMEE Human Rights Officer Monyluak A. Kuol 
recounted to Poloff three substantiated incidents of sexual 
exploitation.  They stated there had been no incidents of 
human trafficking, and a handful of cases where UNMEE 
peacekeepers or civilian personnel had to be pressured into 
providing support to children born from consensual 
relationships.  They report one substantiated incident of 
UNMEE personnel engaged in smuggling since the establishment 
of the mission.  These combined events have resulted in UNMEE 
repatriating a total of four individuals to their home 
nations. 
 
¶3.  (U) In order to prevent such incidents from occurring, 
UNMEE requires that all military personnel participate in 
quarterly awareness and prevention training.  This training 
also occurs with every troop rotation.  The length and detail 
of training varies depending on the availability of training 
personnel, but at a minimum, it involves day-long training 
covering HIV/AIDS, sexual exploitation and human trafficking. 
Civilian employees must also participate in similar training 
upon their arrival at the mission.  In late 2005, UNMEE 
updated the code of conduct with increased focus on sexual 
exploitation and abuse, human trafficking and obeying the 
laws of the host nation.  The UN's zero tolerance policy is 
reiterated in all trainings and in the code of conduct. 
 
¶4. (U) Upon receipt of a report of sexual exploitation, abuse 
or human trafficking, UNMEE convenes a panel to review the 
allegations.  Category 1 claims (such as sexual abuse or 
assault) for military personnel are referred to the UN Office 
of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) in Nairobi that leads 
the investigation.  For All other claims, including category 
2 claims and allegations against UNMEE civilian personnel, 
UNMEE establishes a local panel comprised of civilian 
personnel to investigate.  They call witnesses, take 
statements and evaluate the claim.  If it appears the claim 
will be substantiated, a report is sent to the Office of 
Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and DPKO informs the SRSG of 
the findings and the sanctions.  All persons under 
investigation are afforded due process. 
 
¶5.  (U) UNMEE works diligently in a difficult environment to 
raise awareness in the local population of the roles and 
responsibilities of UNMEE military and civilian personnel 
within Eritrea.  The absence of a free and open media in 
Eritrea compounds UNMEE's difficulties in educating the local 
population about their Mission.  UN Human Rights Officers in 
the field conduct outreach to the local population and UNMEE 
tries to use Eritrean local staff to spread the word.  Unlike 
the Ethiopian side, where UNMEE is able to use newspapers, 
radio and television to inform the local population, the 
Government of Eritrea,s control of all forms of media make 
these efforts more difficult. 
 
¶6.  (C) Comment:  The local population,s perception of 
UNMEE,s presence in Eritrea is basically that of a necessary 
evil.  The Government of Eritrea (GSE) frequently uses the 
entity of UNMEE as a "whipping boy" and a means to gain the 
attention of the international community to highlight the 
impasse in the border demarcation process.  The GSE has been 
actively engaging in an anti-U.S. and anti-Western propaganda 
campaign, which often includes the UN and UNMEE.  Yet even 
Col. Zekerias Ogbagaber, the Eritrean head of the Commission 
for Coordination with the UN Peacekeeping Mission, has 
repeatedly told Poloff that the Eritreans have no complaints 
about the behavior of the UNMEE personnel within Eritrea or 
with the UN,s response to the few allegations of staff 
misconduct.  Conversations with local Eritreans in Asmara and 
with UNMEE staff and military personnel indicate that the 
local population, at least in the capital, has neutral 
feelings about the peacekeepers themselves.  Gaining 
additional perspectives from other sources is nearly 
impossible, as U.S. Embassy staff is restricted by the GSE to 
the city of Asmara.  The nine NGOs operating within Eritrea 
are not permitted to travel within the temporary security 
zone and their projects are strictly controlled.  Not 
surprisingly, there are also no independent human rights 
organizations operating within Eritrea. 
 
¶7. (C) Comment con't:  Post believes that given the duration 
(6 years) and size of the mission (at one point over 4200 
personnel), the number of sexual exploitation and abuse and 
human trafficking cases is extremely low.  What has been an 
on-going problem is human smuggling, with one highly visible 
case in fall 2006 of a UN Volunteer who attempted to smuggle 
several Eritreans to Ethiopia in an UNMEE vehicle. (Refs B&C) 
 Other smuggling cases have predominantly involved local 
staff crossing the border in UNMEE vehicles.  In one case, 
upon arrival in Ethiopia the local staff called UNMEE 
headquarters in Asmara to inform UNMEE staff where in 
Ethiopia they had abandoned the vehicle.  Eritrea continues 
to be an oppressive society that controls the movement of its 
own people, as well as UNMEE personnel.  As long as Eritreans 
are desperate to leave the country by any means possible, 
human smuggling will continue to be an issue for UNMEE.  End 
Comment. 
MCINTYRE