Army orders probe against Indian soldiers in Congo

The Indian Army has ordered a probe into allegations of Indian peacekeepers in Congo indulging in sexual and child abuse weeks after the charges surfaced that had left defence authorities red faced. The probe is being conducted by a senior Army officer posted in the central African state, top Army officials said on late Tuesday night. The order for the probe was given by Army's Vice-Chief Lt Gen M L Naidu, who was on a four-day visit to Congo recently to meet the troops deployed for the UN peacekeeping mission there. UN officials have said the alleged incidents took place in North Kivu province, where UN troops have been policing a shaky ceasefire between rival rebel and militia factions and government troops. The allegations surfaced after the UN mission in Congo came under heavy scrutiny due to a report by Human Rights Watch earlier this year, which accused it of covering up allegations of Pakistani and Indian troops' involvement in alleged arms and gold smuggling in eastern Congo. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, "an internal UN investigation has found evidence that some Indian peacekeepers may have engaged in sexual exploitation and abuse in Congo”. In a statement issued by his spokeswoman's office, Ban said he was "deeply troubled" by the outcome of the UN investigation and said "disciplinary action to the maximum degree permitted by Indian law should be taken as soon as possible against those found to be involved." The Indians were previously stationed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of the United Nations' MONUC peacekeeping force, the statement said. It added that the Indian government assured the United Nations it would investigate the charges and, if true, "strict and exemplary action" would be taken against anyone involved. The statement contained no details about the suspected "sexual exploitation and abuse." Aid workers in Congo, who asked not to be identified, said in May that the inquiry was focusing on Indian UN peacekeepers accused of paying for sex with underage girls in the country's violence-torn east. Last month, the UN mission in Congo said it was investigating an Indian peacekeeping officer accused of showing support for Tutsi rebels in the east. From The Economic Times, August 13, 2008