Tanzania to investigate fresh sex abuse claims against its peacekeepers in DRC

Tanzanian authorities said on Saturday that they will investigate fresh sex abuse claims against its peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The UN peacekeeping mission in DRC said on Friday that it has received allegations of sexual abuse against Tanzanian peacekeepers based in Congo's northeast, the latest in a series of such accusations against UN forces.

Hussein Mwinyi, the east African nation's Minister for Defence and National Service, told Xinhua that the Tanzania People's Defence Forces (TPDF) will investigate the latest allegations.

"I have not yet received the latest claims against Tanzanian peacekeepers in DRC," said Mwinyi, adding that TPDF will investigate the claims.

The UN mission said in a statement that it received the allegations against members of its Force Intervention Brigade, tasked with offensive operations, in the village of Mavivi on March 23 and immediately launched an investigation.

The statement did not say how many cases of abuse had been alleged or provide any further details about the accusations.

The UN said this week that it has expanded an investigation into new allegations of sexual abuse by foreign peacekeepers in Central African Republic.

UN officials said they have interviewed some 108 alleged victims, most of them minors.

The UN peacekeeping mission in Congo, which was initially put in place during a civil war that took place in 1998-2003, is the world's largest, with around 20,000 uniformed personnel. The Security Council renewed its mandate earlier this week for one year. Endit