Ghana Police personnel named in UN peacekeepers sexual violence report

Some personnel of the Ghana police who went on peacekeeping duties in the Central African Republic (CAR) have been cited in a United Nations (UN) report on sexual violence.

The Ghanaian policemen were named among their colleagues from Rwanda, Madagascar, Canada, Germany and Senegal for committing the crime while keeping the peace in the conflict ravaged country.

The report, issued Friday March 4, 2016 by UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon said as many as 69 claims of sexual violence were registered against UN peacekeepers from 21 countries in 2015. The report indicates that there was an increase in the cases from 2014. The number of similar cases was 52 in 2014, and 66 in 2013, the report said.

The AP indicate that of the 69 allegations in 2015, 23 involved minors and 15 were allegations of rape of people above the age of 18.

According to the AFP, leading the list is the Democratic Republic of Congo, with seven allegations, followed by Morocco and South Africa, with four allegations each. The UN missions in the CAR and Democratic Republic of Congo had registered the maximum number of claims. The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) is stationed in the two countries.

The AP reports that at least 22 cases of sexual violence were registered against peacekeepers in the CAR in 2015.

“The police from Rwanda, Ghana, Madagascar, Canada, Germany and Senegal have also been named in the report,” it said.

Ki-moon who is calling for changes in national laws to include punishment for sex crimes, because troops on UN peacekeeping duties are still subject to their countries’ laws, has argued for troops to be court-martialed if found guilty of sexual crimes while serving on UN missions.

Checks by ghanabusinessnews.com show that the Ghana Police Service sent only three personnel to MINUSCA – two men and a woman.

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi