By Matthew Russell Lee|
www.innercitypress.com/doss3boot090109.htm
UNITED NATIONS, September 1 -- The UN is shameless in its defense of itself and its embattled high officials like Alan Doss, the Congo envoy who asked the UN Development Program to bend or break rules to give his daughter a job, and then oversaw the lock-out of the head of his Mission's staff union. Last week Inner City Press reported, based on documents, that MONUC union chief Mr.Guershom Nondo said he had been barred from MONUC premises.
The UN wrote to Inner City Press that the report was "incorrect," that Nondo was never barred. Inner City Press then ran a second story, complete with the denial and Nondo's e-mail. Now the UN writes to belatedly admit that yes, Nondo was barred by MONUC -- "MONUC security issued an incorrect internal instruction to its personnel to prevent him from entering the mission's premise" -- but it was by mistake. But why then did the UN claim that the report was in error? To defend itself and Doss.
Meanwhile when straight-shooting UN official Susana Malcorra was quoted in Uganda that a new mandate is needed to more effectively combat the Lord's Resistance Army rebels, the UN in New York quickly claimed she was misquoted, and issued a carefully crafted version of what she supposedly said. Inner City Press asked, is that what she said or what you wish that she had said?
Tuesday, after the New Vision of Uganda followed up saying that the UN in Sudan and Alan Doss' MONUC should to more to fight the LRA, Inner City Press asked again.
Associate Spokesman Farhan Haq said that the statement read out by Spokesperson Michele Montas is the UN's position. It's a shame, because Malcorra's quote about a need for changes to fight the LRA is the truth. But at the UN, apparently, the truth must immediately be denied.
A graphic novel about the LRA has been published, "Unknown Soldier" from Vertigo. It is better than it might have been, with references to President Museveni and the Ugandan People's Defense Force. It errs in letting the UPDF off the hook, saying that the LRA dressed up in official army uniforms to commit atrocities in their name. Ask the people of Karamoja, where its the "real" UPDF that torched whole villages. Still, the graphic novel is welcome.
Here's the UN Spokesperson's Office e-mail:
Subj: Re: Your Report/Question on MONUC and Mr. Nondo
From: unspokesperson-donotreply [at] un.org
To: Inner City Press
Sent: 8/31/2009 11:56:48 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time
A clarification regarding your earlier question on Mr. Nondo:
As indicated earlier, he is neither banned from MONUC premises, nor suspended.
MONUC administration has spoken directly to Mr. Nondo and explained this point. On the morning of 25 August, MONUC security issued an incorrect internal instruction to its personnel to prevent him from entering the mission's premises. This was rescinded officially by MONUC Administration the following day.
So why did the UN claim that "Your report regarding MONUC and Mr. Nondo was incorrect. MONUC informs that Mr. Nondo has neither been banned from MONUC premises, nor suspended"?And see, www.innercitypress.com/doss3boot090109.html
