Cote d’Ivoire: UN experts investigate alleged Moroccan soldiers’ sexual abuse
Posted by African Press International on August 3, 2007
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APA-Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire) A joint Moroccan and UN fact-finding mission has started inquiring into the alleged sexual exploitation and abuse of Moroccan troops on underage girls in Bouake, UNOCI spokesman, Hamadoun Toure, told on Thursday in his weekly press briefing. The fact-finding mission, which arrived in Cote d’Ivoire on Tuesday, will first work out a roadmap, draw up a report before giving recommendations. According to the conclusions of the UN preliminary internal inquiry, some Moroccan peacekeeping soldiers were allegedly accused of sexual abuse on underage girls in Bouake (379 km from Abidjan). In the aftermath of these allegations, UNOCI ordered the suspension of all activities of the Moroccan contingent in Bouake, pending the ongoing in-depth investigation. Morocco sent a contingent of 732 soldiers all posted in Bouake, as part of the 8,000 UNOCI peacekeepers deployed in Cote d’Ivoire since 4 April 2003. Published by Korir, API*APN africanpress@chello.no tel +47 932 99 739 or +47 6300 2525 source.apa |
