THE HIGHLY-damaging report from Unicef and Save the Children which last week accused scores of aid officials from a variety of international agencies of being involved in the sexual exploitation of children at refugee camps in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, also involved UN troops.

A cut-down version of the 80-page report was posted on its web site by Unicef last Thursday, in which the names of the various NGOs involved in the allegations of child sexual abuse were removed, as were details of the Unamsil peacekeeping troops involved.

Kenya was among the countries which sent troops to take part in the UN peacekeeping operations in Sierra Leone during the late 1990s, where they distinguished themselves for their bravery. There is no suggestion that any Kenyan troops were involved in the sexual abuse claims, but the report has effectively tarred all peacekeepers involved in the UN operations in the three West African nations by refusing to say who was not involved.

Unicef and Save the Children's detailed study made shocking reading when it was released last week. The report said that many young teenage girls, some of whom were even younger than 12, were being coerced into having sex with NGO workers and UN soldiers in order to get food, money and shelter.

Many of these girls reported that they had come to expect having to have sex in order to receive materials for shelter, medicine or food in return. Both UNHCR and Save the Children acknowledge the "disturbing" nature of the findings of their assessment teams and say that action will be taken.

While most of the exploitation of the girls was by workers locally employed by a variety of NGOs, it is clear from the report that there was little supervision of the camps and little chance for the young women to complain about what was happening to them, because of their vulnerability.

Many young girls had had two or three children as a result of being forced into having sex by the time they were only 18 years old. Others had succumbed to a variety of sexually transmitted diseases and some had Aids.

The assessment team acknowledged that in all three West African countries "the very humanitarian aid and services intended to benefit the refugee population were a tool of exploitation."

While Unamsil soldiers were given a clear code of conduct as to how they should behave with regard to the refugee population, the report said "the reality on the ground was different.

"The team reported allegations of sexual exploitation by peacekeepers from several countries. Peacekeepers are alleged to have sexually exploited children in exchange for money and goods. It is claimed that even some very young children have been asked to pose naked in exchange for biscuits and other food items.

"The position of power, wealth and status enjoyed by peacekeeping personnel gives them the ability to do as they wish. In Freetown (Sierra Leone's capital), nationals spoke about the behaviour of the boys in blue helmets with a feeling of helplessness and sadness."

In all, more than 40 agencies and organisations and around 70 individuals were mentioned in a variety of testimonies by the young girls, but none are named.

UNHCR has however denied a cover-up over the matter, saying the report which had been released had been edited to "protect the safety of the children."

"There will be an investigation," a spokesman said. "But these are allegations made by children which may be unsubstantiated. (But) of course there is a lot to it and we are taking it extremely seriously. If we released all the details, we would destroy the chance of a successful investigation.

"The number of allegations leaves no doubt that there is a serious problem of sexual exploitation demanding further action and investigation. UNHCR has already begun this process and a team of investigators is currently in the region."

Sierra Leone's Foreign Minister Ahmed Ramadan said that the government there was now going to start its own inquiry into the allegations made in the report.

Less than 18 months ago, Jeff Crisp, a senior UNHCR officer, wrote of the virtually total breakdown of law and order in the two refugee camps of Kakuma and Dadaab in northern Kenya.