By Xinhua
Abidjan : The United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission in Cote d'Ivoire has said the UN would send an inspection team to the country next week to investigate cases of sexual abuse concerning some Moroccan soldiers.
Spokesperson of the UN peacekeeping mission, Hamadoun Toure, said Thursday that the inspection team, composed of UN and Moroccan experts, would release the results of the investigation as soon as possible.
Toure reaffirmed the UN's "zero tolerance policy" towards sexual exploitation and abuse.
The UN said in a statement that "due to the gravity of the allegations, the UN has taken a decision to suspend all activities of the contingent and confine the unit to its base of operations" while the investigation is carried out.
The statement said any soldier who committed abuses would be repatriated to Morocco and punished appropriately under the laws of his own country.
There are about 8,000 UN peacekeepers and 3,500 French troops in the Cote d'Ivoire supporting a peace process revived in March.