By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
April 18 --
Four days
after the failure of a
UN project in
rape-scarred
Walikale in
Eastern Congo
was exposed
by Inner City
Press,
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
deputy
spokesman
acknowledged
that the
"Quick Impact
Project"
announced in
March 2011
"has yet to be
completed,"
but blamed
this on having
no
cement to
construct
buildings to
protect the
equipment.
But
the equipment
are
gas-powered
grinding mills
which
Congolese
sources told
Inner
City Press
were
ill-conceived
in an area
with limited
and high-cost
fuel, and that
the failure of
the project
which was
announced by
Ban's envoy
Roger Meece is
due to Meece's
disinterest
and long
absences even
from Kinshasa.
Click
here for
Inner City
Press'
initial
April 13
exclusive
story on
"Meece's
Mills."
The UN
has yet to
respond to
that.
Yesterday,
I
was asked
about a
project in the
Walikale area
of the
Democratic
Republic of
the Congo.
[Note:
video
of April 16
briefing
where Inner
City Press
asked for
response to
its story is online,
but for
now there's no
Internet link
to UN
transcript of
that briefing.]
The
UN
Mission in
that country,
MONUSCO,
informs us
that the
Community
Development
Project in the
Walikale area
to assist
female
survivors
of sexual
violence was
approved by
the Mission's
Local Project
Review
Committee in
Goma on 21
February 2011.
It consists of
2 manioc mills
and 3 rice
huskers, and
the initial
budget was
$12,000.
The
Local
Project Review
Committee
decided to
allocate an
additional
$3,000 in
March 2011
following a
consensus on
the necessity
of
constructing
buildings to
protect the
equipment,
which would
also
serve as
storehouses.
According
to
the agreement
between
MONUSCO and
the local
partner, Coordination
Locale
des Actions
Feminines pour
le
Developpement,
this local
partner is
responsible
for ensuring
the timely
construction
of these
buildings,
which
unfortunately
has yet to be
completed.
The
delivery
of cement has
proven
particularly
problematic.
Walikale is
very difficult
to access from
Goma, and
MONUSCO
logistics
experts
determined
that air
transport of
cement would
be too
dangerous. The
only
alternative
was to
purchase
cement
directly from
the Walikale
market, and
that option
has been very
expensive.
To
cope
with the
unexpected
financial
burden, the
Local Project
Review
Committee has
agreed to
release an
additional
$10,000;
however, these
funds will
only be made
available upon
receipt of the
second interim
progress
report for the
initial $3,000
and that
progress
report from
the local
partner is
still pending.
MONUSCO
has
consistently
taken
corrective
measures to
ensure the
completion
of this
important
project.
Through
colleagues
based in Goma,
the
Mission will
continue to
liaise with
the local
partner to
ensure that
the project
becomes a
reality which
will enhance
the quality of
life
for the
survivors of
sexual
violence in
the Walikale
area.
Inner
City Press
followed
up:
Inner
City
Press: I am
waiting to see
if you, if
DPKO can rebut
this, that
number one,
this was a
quick
implementation
project. It
was supposed
to be
completed in
three months,
although it
began in 2011.
In fact,
Mr. Meece
asked the
Indian brigade
in North Kivu,
to install it
and
they refused,
because they
said it makes
no sense to
install mills
that are based
on generators
and fuel
that’s not
present in the
community —
they should
have used a
water-based
mill. There is
a
critique being
made that the
whole project
is
ill-conceived,
ill-suited to
the area and
that even the
peacekeepers
said that they
didn’t want to
install it.
So, I want to
know, what is
the
response to
that, that
portion of it.
Deputy
Spokesperson:
Well, I’ll
have to check
into that, I
don’t have
any
information
with me.
It's
the next day
and the
information or
response has
still not been
provided on
this, nor on
the Department
of
Peacekeeping
Operations'
use of private
military
contractors.
Watch
this site.
