By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/drc1leo030410.html
UNITED NATIONS, March 4 -- The UN Mission in the Congo under Alan Doss increasingly has been under fire for working with army units charged with war crimes. In late 2009, the UN's own special rapporteur Philip Alston criticized MONUC for working with Colonel Innocent Zimulinda, charged with rape and murder. But MONUC apparently didn't have enough evidence.
On March 2, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky told Inner City Press that MONUC's new operation with the Congolese Army, Amani Leo, had not yet begun. But the following day it emerged that the operation had begun on February 26, with MONUC providing logistical support to up to 18 Congolese battalions.
At the March 4 noon briefing, Inner City Press raised this to Nesirky, asking if the "logistical support" includes transporting weapons and ammunition, and asking for a list of the 18 battalions MONUC will work with, to cross check against war crimes lists. Video here, from Minute 7:20.
Nesirky, as he had about the job action against MONUC by its local workers, told Inner City Press to ask MONUC. But he went on to describe MONUC's screening criteria. Inner City Press asked, does that mean the UN will not work with Zimulinda, sometimes known as Zimurinda?
By the UN's own summary of the briefing:
In response to a question, the Spokesperson noted that the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) has a set of conditions, in line with Security Council resolutions, concerning the way in which it supports operations by the Congolese Armed Forces. Primarily, MONUC provides logistical support limited to Congolese operations that are underway, including such things as fuel, transport and evacuations of wounded personnel.
That assistance, Nesirky said, was taking place for Operation Amani Leo, which technically began on 1 January but has moved into an operational phase recently.
Asked about UN involvement with Congolese Armed Forces units that have been linked to human rights violations, the Spokesperson recalled that MONUC has an agreed procedure in place with the Congolese Armed Forces, which it has used to screen all units and commanders directly involved in operations that MONUC is called upon to assist. This includes joint planning of these operations as required by the Security Council.
Asked about any involvement by the United Nations with Colonel Innocent Zimulinda, Nesirky said that units commanded by Zimulinda are not receiving any assistance from MONUC.
We'll see. Meanwhile, the supposed investigation by the UN of Alan Doss' six line email urging the UN Development Program to show him "leeway" and give a job to his daughter has, eight months later, still not been completed. The UN cannot be a void for accountability in the Congo or elsewhere when there is no accountability by even the chief of MONUC....
And see, www.innercitypress.com/drc1leo030410.html
