Yet Another UN Scandal

Yesterday it was democracy for oil. Today it's guns for gold — this time involving Pakistani United Nations peacekeeping troops who were supposed to be disarming militia groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo but instead are reported to have sold weapons to them in exchange for gold. According to the BBC investigation that has exposed the malpractice, Human Rights Watch alerted the UN to the allegations of gold trading late in 2005, but the UN initially covered up an internal report into the scandal in a misguided attempt to "avoid political fallout."

UN peacekeepers in Congo were previously caught up in a different scandal two years ago when they were found guilty of having sex with Congolese women and girls in exchange for food or money. One wonders how much longer calls for serious reform or replacement of the international body can continue without action at last being taken.