Sexual exploitation and abuse in UN peacekeeping missions: A case study of MONUC and MONUSCO

Abstract

Peacekeepers are, at once, both protectors and perpetrators of violence. They themselves suffer from crises of masculinity as warriors sent to “wage peace.” Thus, this article highlights the troubling paradox of male identities in conflict by examining the high rates of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) by UN peacekeepers in the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) and the subsequent United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). Although SEA in the DRC has declined in recent years as the UN has taken important steps to address the problem, this case study reveals the pertinent social, legal, and political institutions impacting UN peacekeeping and identifies four factors that continue to contribute to the high rates of SEA amongst UN peacekeepers in the DRC. This study also identifies and formulates significant structural changes in training and enforcement methods in order to prevent SEA in future UN peacekeeping operations.

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