Jean-Marie Guehenno,head of United Nations peacekeeping, has called for asystem-wide overhaul of staff discipline amid mounting revelations of sexual abuse by peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In early November, the UN revealed that a French civilian in its Congo mission (Monuc) had been arrested and sent home in connection with paedophilia. Two Tunisian soldiers had earlier been sent home for sexual abuse against women in Kinshasa. After further investigations, an additional three civilians are now being suspended.