By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, February 7 -- Last week in Eastern Congo, four foreigners were arrested for illegal gold trading and exploitation. Two Nigerians, an American and a French national were taken from their plane at the airport in North Kivu capital Goma, province governor Julien Paluku said.
On February 7 Inner City Press asked Roger Meece, the head of the UN Mission in the Congo MONUSCO, about the arrests and MONUSCO's role. He said the Congolese acted on a situation “at best irregular, that's the most charitable description.”
Inner City Press asked him if the US (or France or Nigeria) had communicated with Kinshasa or the UN about their nationals being arrested. “I can't speak for the countries involved,” said Meece, previously the US Ambassador to the Congo. Nor has the US said anything about the arrest, or about the US-registered plane, which flew from Nigeria.
After Inner City Press asked, Meece said that it is possible the Bosco Ntaganda is involved -- the same Ntaganda who has bragged of working with the UN after being indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court.
The UN in Sudan transported ICC indictee Ahmed Haroun in an UNMIS plane, saying that it was necessary in order to try to calm tensions. The UN in Congo, MONUSCO, could make the same argument about Bosco Ntaganda.
The Brazilian president of the Security Council for February read out a press statement in which the Council took issue with the promotion of men implicated in human rights abuses.
Inner City Press asked if the Lord's Resistance Army had even been discussed. Yes, under security, the Brazilian Ambassador answered. Still, given that the long Council press statement did not even mention the LRA, it seems it was an afterthought, even to the US delegation. Watch this site.
