The United Nations Mission in South Sudan or UNMISS has released a statement on Tuesday that it has learned this month that four teenagers were caught trying to enter the United Nations base in Aweil through the perimeter fence.
The statement says tt was alleged that one of the teenage girls had been touched inappropriately by a member of the Nepalese contingent in exchange for money, but there was no allegation made of rape.
In February this year, 46 UN Police officers from the Ghana contingent were sent to Juba after an alleged report of involving in sexual activities with women in the camp in Wau. An investigation team was formed to investigate the matter but no result yet has been published.
UNMISS said it has deployed a Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Immediate Response Team to Aweil to gather information and preserve evidence prior to the launch of an investigation by the Troop Contributing Country concerned.
The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal has also been notified by the UN of the allegation and is in the process of appointing a team of National Investigation Officers who will conduct an investigation as per normal procedures relating to military contingents.
‘UNMISS has a zero tolerance, no excuses and no second chances approach to sexual exploitation and abuse’, the statement reads. It is committed to putting the victims’ rights and dignity first and ensuring that there is transparency and accountability for such actions.