Tough UN line on peacekeeper abuses

The devotion to duty of nine UN peacekeepers who died in a hail of rebel bullets in the lawless eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo on 25 February is a grim reminder of how high the price of peace can be. Their sacrifice stands in stark contrast to the behaviour of a small minority of “blue helmets” responsible for acts of sexual exploitation and abuse that have damaged the credibility of the UN mission in the Congo. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has denounced the abuses as “an ugly stain” on the world body. He has put in place tough new measures to end them, including a dusk-to-dawn curfew for military personnel and an outright ban on unauthorized contact with local residents.