JUBA, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan said on Tuesday that it has launched investigations into allegations of sexual exploitation by a unit of Nepalese peacekeepers based in South Sudan.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said in a statement that four teenagers were caught on April 13 trying to enter its base in the central town of Aweil through the perimeter fence.
The UNMISS said it was alleged that one of the teenaged girls had been touched inappropriately by a member of the Nepalese contingent in exchange for money.
The UNMISS however denied earlier media allegations of rape, adding that the matter has been reported to the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), an independent body within the UN.
"The UNMISS deployed a Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Immediate Response Team (IRT) to Aweil to gather information and preserve evidence prior to the launch of an investigation by the troop-contributing country concerned," said the UN mission.
It said it has notified the Nepalese government about the allegations and that Nepal is in the process of appointing a probe team.
"The UNMISS has a zero tolerance, no excuses and no second chances approach to sexual exploitation and abuse. It is committed to putting the victims' rights and dignity first and ensuring that there is transparency and accountability for such actions," the UNMISS said.
Last February, the UNMISS recalled a unit of 46 Ghanaian police officers from the northwestern town of Wau and confined them to their base in Juba following allegations that the blue helmets engaged in sexual activity with women under their protection in a UN Protection of Civilians (POC) site.
South Sudan government spokesman Michael Makuei Lueth described the latest sexual accusations as disturbing and called for a review of the UNMISS mandate in the east African nation.
"The continuous abuse of our people by people who are supposed to protect them is serious and disturbing," Makuei told Xinhua by phone. "We want the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) we signed with the UNMISS to be reviewed so that people who commit individual offenses can face the law in South Sudan."
