VZCZCXRO5305
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKI #0019 0221427
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O R 221427Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0060
INFO RWANDA COLLECTIVE
SOUTHERN AF DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE
UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0008

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000019 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
STATE FOR IO/PSC - GILES OJI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV KPKO KWMN CG
SUBJECT: EFFECTIVENESS OF THE UN TO COMBAT SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AND 
ABUSE IN THE MONUC PEACEKEEPING OPERATION: DRC 
 
REF: 09 STATE 130760; 09 KINSHASA 591 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  An influential Congolese NGO, Voice of the 
Voiceless, acknowledged that improvements in MONUC's handling of 
sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) cases have occurred in 2009, 
but more improvements are needed.  MONUC's Conduct and Discipline 
Unit (CDU) report SEA allegations in 2009 were slightly lower than 
in 2008.  The CDU maintains that the UN system and member state 
actions have resulted in slower justice.  The CDU recommended a 
stronger judicial and investigative system and disciplinary 
authority for mission SRSGs.  End summary. 
 
 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Poloff recently met with Floribert Chebeya Bahizire, 
Executive Director of the NGO Voice of the Voiceless and his deputy 
Dolly Ibefo.   Both believe that the local perception of the UN and 
MONUC has improved over time, but noted that many Congolese doubted 
whether guilty UN troops, who had been sent home, were really 
prosecuted in their countries.   Chebeya was positive in noting the 
work that the CDU has done to improve the situation, but believes 
MONUC still has much to do. 
 
 
 
¶3.  (U) MONUC provided us with various documents to highlight the 
training and punitive measures it has undertaken in the past year. 
MONUC reported that the number of Category 1 (most serious) SEA 
allegations in 2009 decreased slightly to 37 from 38 in 2008. 
MOUNC repatriated 33 contingent members in 2009 on disciplinary 
grounds.  The CDU regularly makes visits to the field to conduct 
assessments.  The MONUC SEA Focal Point network continues to assist 
the CDU and senior management in training.  In summer 2009, the CDU 
conducted an anti-prostitution campaign sensitizing the local 
population on grassroots approaches to reducing the number of SEA 
allegations.  With German government funds, the CDU also 
established rehabilitation centers for women engaged in 
prostitution as part of the mandated victim's assistance policy. 
Funding for this project was for one year and its future is 
uncertain, but MONUC hopes that member states will continue to fund 
this effort. 
 
 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Yewande Odia, head of the CDU, acknowledged to poloff 
that, even though SEA allegations did not change significantly in 
2009, the presence of three new field offices in the East has 
provided for greater reporting in those areas of potentially high 
SEA allegations.   Odia is confident that the numbers will begin to 
decrease significantly over the next year with this expanded 
presence.  Odia reiterated that the number of investigators in the 
UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) in the DRC had been 
reduced from 9 to 2, making it harder to initiate and complete 
investigations in a timely manner.   In addition, Odia criticized 
both the UN 2009 reform system and member states for not providing 
mission SRSGs sanctioning authority for certain conduct violations, 
thus allowing a sentiment that impunity exists within the UN ranks. 
According to Odia and the CDU team, the backlog of cases in New 
York is so great that individuals who have been found guilty of 
theft, battery, and even rape via the investigative process are 
still receiving paychecks and reporting for work months or years 
after the incidents.  Odia believes that this lack of disciplinary 
authority undermines the work of the UN in stemming the tide of 
impunity in the GDRC. 
 
 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Summary: As the UN's largest PKO in an enormous country 
with poor infrastructure, it remains a challenge to monitor the 
conduct of MONUC's military and civilian components.  MONUC, in our 
opinion, is doing all it possibly can to provide training, monitor 
conduct, and punish perpetrators. To end a sense of impunity, 
however, an effective judicial system to reduce the backlog of 
cases and SRSG disciplinary authority to impose sanctions should be 
explored.  End summary. 
BROCK